Schizophrenia Profile in 'A Beautiful Mind' movie (ID:449459)

The above behavior of John Nash from the movie A Beautiful Mind completely matches the symptoms of the schizophrenic spectrum. Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, catatonic behavior, diminished emotional expression, and avolition is characteristic symptoms of schizophrenia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) (SAMHSA, 2016). The DSM-5 states that at least two of these symptoms, which are "present for a significant portion of time during a 1-month period," indicates schizophrenia (SAMHSA, 2016). John experiences these symptoms almost simultaneously and regularly. DSM-5 also emphasizes that on a social level, these symptoms tend to disrupt the level of an individual's functioning in areas of life such as "work, interpersonal relations, or self-care" (SAMHSA, 2016). Indeed, in the second half of the film, John practically loses his teaching job and quarrels with his wife because of his illness. As far as paranoia is concerned, it is necessary to turn to statistics. Studies show that paranoia occurs in 82% of schizophrenics, so it should come as no surprise that John suffers from delusional, overvalued ideas, and persecution mania against a background of schizophrenic symptoms (Tandon et al., 2013, p. 4). With that being said, we can conclude that John Nash has paranoid schizophrenia.