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Word salad (mental health)

Name of Symptom/Sign:
**Other speech disturbance**
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ICD-10	R47.8
ICD-O:	{{{ICDO}}}
ICD-9	784.5
OMIM	{{{OMIM}}}
MedlinePlus	{{{MedlinePlus}}}
eMedicine	{{{eMedicineSubj}}}/{{{eMedicineTopic}}}
DiseasesDB	{{{DiseasesDB}}}

In context of e-mail spamming, see also Word salad.

In the mental healthfield, word salad (originally from the GermanWortsalat) is used to describe the symptom of confused, and often repetitious, language that is symptomatic of various mental illnesses. It is usually associated with a manicpresentation and other symptoms of serious mental illnesses, such as psychoses. It describes the apparently confused usage of wordswith no apparent meaning or relationship attached to them. In this context, it is considered to be a symptom of a formal thought disorder. In some cases word salad can be a sign of asymtomatic Schizophrenia. e.g. the question "Why do people believe in God?" elicits a response like "Because he makes a twirl in life, my box is broken help me blue elephant. Isn't lettuce brave? I like electrons, hello."

In popular culture

The character Homsarin the animated cartoon series Homestar Runneris known for indefinitely speaking in word salads, as are members of the Xaositect faction of the Planescapesetting of the Dungeons & Dragonsgame, Edfrom the animated Cartoon Networkseries Ed Edd and Eddy, and Happy Noodle Boyfrom Johnny the Homicidal Maniac.

Word salad (mental health)

In popular culture

See also