Which statement is true about the Catatonia Specifier in psychotic disorders?

• A. It requires marked psychomotor disturbance and 3+ features
• B. It requires 1 feature
• C. It cannot occur with schizophrenia
• D. It is a mood disorder specifier

Answer: (A)

Catatonia specifier describes a cluster of psychomotor abnormalities that can accompany psychotic disorders. The diagnosis is made when at least three of the recognized catatonic signs are present, reflecting a significant disturbance in movement and behavior. These signs include stupor, waxy flexibility, catalepsy, mutism, negativism, posturing, mannerisms, grimacing, echolalia, echopraxia, rigidity, and agitation. Because it hinges on multiple motor symptoms rather than a single cue, this specifier is not limited to mood disorders and can occur with schizophrenia. Therefore, requiring 3+ features (often with notable motor disturbance) is the best description, while the notions of needing only one feature, or that it cannot occur with schizophrenia, or that it is a mood disorder specifier, do not fit.