A patient displaying vague responses and providing minimal information is exhibiting which type of speech abnormality?

The indication that the patient is displaying vague responses and providing minimal information aligns with the concept of "poverty of content." This term is used to describe a type of speech abnormality where the individual speaks in a way that is excessively verbose or uses numerous words, yet conveys very little meaningful information. The speech tends to lack detail or substance, which can make it sound somewhat disorganized or unfocused. This often occurs in various mental health conditions, including some forms of psychosis or depression, where the patient struggles to communicate effectively.

In the context of the other speech abnormalities, "logorrhea" refers to an excessive flow of words, where the individual speaks a great deal without the concise element of meaningful content. "Clang association" involves the use of words based on their sound and rhythm rather than their meaning, and "neologism" is the creation of new words or phrases that may not have any understandable meaning to others. In contrast, poverty of content specifically captures the essence of vague or minimal information being shared, which is why it is the correct answer in this scenario.