Schizophrenia in Spanish

What it means

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. People who have it may seem as though they have lost touch with reality: they may hear voices that aren't there or think other people are trying to hurt them. MedlinePlus describes three types of symptoms. Psychotic symptoms include hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that are not there), delusions (beliefs that are not true), and trouble organizing thoughts. "Negative" symptoms make it difficult to show emotions and to function normally. Cognitive symptoms include trouble using information, making decisions, and paying attention. Symptoms usually start between ages 16 and 30. No one is sure what causes schizophrenia, and there is no cure, but medicine can help control many of the symptoms.

Spanish term: Esquizofrenia
Gender and article: feminine: la esquizofrenia
Pronunciation: es-kee-soh-FREH-nyah

Esquizofrenia is the word used by MedlinePlus en español and by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in its Spanish-language publication, and it is feminine: la esquizofrenia. MedlinePlus en español calls it una enfermedad cerebral grave (a serious brain illness), NIMH writes una enfermedad mental grave (a serious mental illness), and the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia article says un trastorno mental (a mental disorder).

The symptom words map closely onto English. MedlinePlus en español writes alucinaciones for hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that do not exist) and delirios for delusions (beliefs that are not true), so in a Spanish text about schizophrenia delirios sits where the English page has "delusions". NIMH names the three symptom categories psicóticos, negativos and cognitivos. In the encyclopedia article the medicines are antipsicóticos, and the specialist who examines the person and makes the diagnosis is un psiquiatra.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	I have been hearing voices that other people do not hear.	He estado oyendo voces que otras personas no oyen.
Clinician	When did you first notice these symptoms?	¿Cuándo notó estos síntomas por primera vez?
Patient	It started a few months ago, and I have trouble concentrating and sleeping.	Empezó hace unos meses, y me cuesta concentrarme y dormir.
Clinician	Do you ever feel that other people want to hurt you?	¿Siente a veces que otras personas quieren hacerle daño?
Patient	My family says that sometimes what I say does not make sense.	Mi familia dice que a veces lo que digo no tiene sentido.
Clinician	Has anyone in your family been diagnosed with schizophrenia?	¿Le han diagnosticado esquizofrenia a alguien de su familia?
Clinician	I would like you to see a psychiatrist for an evaluation.	Quisiera que consultara a un psiquiatra para una evaluación.
Patient	Can a family member come with me to the next appointment?	¿Puede acompañarme un familiar a la próxima cita?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Schizophrenia
Spanish (Español)	Esquizofrenia
Chinese (中文)	思覺失調症
Korean (한국어)	조현병
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Tâm thần phân liệt
Filipino (Tagalog)	Schizophrenia
Portuguese (Português)	Esquizofrenia
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	โรคจิตเภท
Japanese (日本語)	統合失調症

Where you'll see it

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Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: F20 → Schizophrenia

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Mental health

All terms in this area: Mental health — Salud mental

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.