I recently learned a colleague of mine has schizotypal personality disorder (i.e. he scored over a 50 on a 0 - 74 test for the thing, STP-A I think it was). Apparently it is a schizophrenia-like disorder but more mild, without hallucinations all of the time. (http://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/schizotypal.html) Should I tell him to seek therapy - he seems more or less OK, if a little "off" at times. Unfortunately I don't know enough about this myself to have a gut feeling on the matter. Does anyone have any ideas on this one? (My colleague is a programmer.)
Next up on Ask HN:<p>* My colleague broke his leg - what sort of cast should I recommend?<p>* My colleague is coughing a lot - should I tell him to take antibiotics for pneumonia?<p>* My colleague is having chest pains - should I recommend open heart surgery?<p>Dammit, we're miracle workers, not doctors! (Apologies to the real McCoy.)<p>More seriously -- if you're concerned about someone's health (mental or otherwise), feel free to politely ask if they have consulted a doctor; but please leave the diagnosis and any treatment decisions in the hands of medical professionals.
First, no one is a diagnosis. But if your friend does have this, he or she will seem fine until they "break". For example, they may suddenly leave town.<p>This isn't something for Hacker News and it's certainly not something up for public opinion. If you notice behavior that puts you or someone at risk, contact the police immediately. Otherwise, it's your colleague's personal matter. If you're confused or need someone to talk to more about it, my email is in my profile.
My understanding is that there are<p>(a) minor personality issues like neuroses, for which therapy is sometimes useful and sometimes useless<p>and<p>(b) major organic mental illnesses like schizophrenia, for which therapy is almost entirely useless.<p>In that light, asking "he's got schizotypal personality... should I advise therapy?" is much like asking "he's got schizotypal personality... should I advise a trip to Montana?"
Definitely put him in charge of product development.<p>Seriously though, judge people on their actions not their diagnoses. And if you're working at a startup questionable mental health may in fact be a prerequisite to success. Obsession, creativity, drive, focus are all cognitive assets in some cases and liabilities in others.