He described these personalities as "comfortably dull and at the same time sensitive, people who in a narrow manner pursue vague purposes".In 1910, August Hoch introduced a very similar concept called the "shut-in" personality. Characteristics of it were reticence, seclusiveness, shyness and a preference for living in fantasy worlds, among others. In 1925, Russian psychiatrist Grunya Sukhareva described a "schizoid psychopathy" in a group of children, resembling todays SzPD and ASD. About a decade later Pyotr Gannushkin also included Schizoids and Dreamers in his detailed typology of personality types.Studies on the schizoid personality have developed along two distinct paths. The "descriptive psychiatry" tradition focuses on overtly observable, behavioral and describable symptoms and finds its clearest exposition in the DSM-5. The dynamic psychiatry tradition includes the exploration of covert or unconscious motivations and character structure as elaborated by classic psychoanalysis and object-relations theory. The descriptive tradition began in 1925 with the description of observable schizoid behaviors by Ernst Kretschmer. He organized those into three groups of characteristics:
Unsociability, quietness, reservedness, seriousness and eccentricity. Timidity, shyness with feelings, sensitivity, nervousness, excitability, fondness of nature and books. Pliability, kindliness, honesty, indifference, silence and cold emotional attitudes.These characteristics were the precursors of the DSM-III division of the schizoid character into three distinct personality disorders: schizotypal, avoidant and schizoid. Kretschmer himself, however, did not conceive of separating these behaviors to the point of radical isolation but considered them to be simultaneously present as varying potentials in schizoid individuals.
The idea of suicide is a driving force against the persons schizoid defenses. Often among people with SzPD, there is a rationally grounded and reasoned position on why they want to die, and this "suicidal construct" takes a stable position in the mind. A mini-review indicates that SzPD or schizoid traits are a major risk factor for both suicide attempts and suicide. Schizoids tend to hide their suicidal thoughts and intentions. Demonstrative suicides or suicide blackmail, as seen in cluster B personality disorders such as borderline, histrionic or antisocial, are extremely rare among schizoid individuals.In cases with schizoid disorder, the characteristics of the premorbidities (emotional coldness, autism, inability to have fun) also affected suicidal behaviour. Their suicides were always genuine in nature, well-planned, and it was only by chance that these patients survived (usually the fatal outcome was prevented by the sudden appearance of others). They denied the existence of suicidal experiences earlier, but argued that in the current circumstances, suicide seemed to them the most appropriate way out. This "suicidal construction" was well-reasoned and took a stable position in the mind. Important in all these cases was the absence of any significant anti-suicidal factors (most were found in a situation of relative social isolation; there were no professional and personal interests). The high ability to introspect in these cases only increased the isolation from reality and made the choice in favour of suicide more reasonable.As in other clinical mental health settings, among suicidal inpatients, individuals with SzPD are not as well-represented as some other groups.