Brief Psychotic Disorder

Schizophrenia	Types of Schizophrenia
Psychotic Symptoms	Schizoaffective Disorder
Delusional Disorder	Schizophreniform Disorder
Shared Psychotic Disorder	Brief Psychotic Disorder

Brief psychotic disorder (also known as brief reactive psychosis) is a psychosis of rapid onset and short duration. This disorder is typically triggered by an extremely stressful or traumatic event, such as a rape, assault, or death of a loved one. Some women may develop this disorder after giving birth. Individuals between 20 and 30 years of age are most often affected.

Symptoms of this disorder include mood lability, confusion, and psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior, or disorganized speech. A brief psychotic episode, by definition, must last at least one day and must resolve itself within one month. Generally, the quicker the onset, the faster the recovery. If the symptoms last more than one month, the diagnosis needs to be reconsidered as does the prognosis.

DSM-IV Criteria:

A. Presence of one (or more) of the following symptoms:

(1) delusions
(2) hallucinations
(3) disorganized speech (e.g., frequent derailment or incoherence)
(4) grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior

Note: Do not include a symptom if it is a culturally sanctioned response pattern.

B. Duration of an episode of the disturbance is at least 1 day but less than 1 month, with eventual full return to premorbid level of functioning.

C. The disturbance is not better accounted for by a Mood Disorder With Psychotic Features, Schizoaffective Disorder, or Schizophrenia and is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.

Specify if:

With Marked Stressor(s) (brief reactive psychosis): if symptoms occur shortly after and apparently in response to events that, singly or together, would be markedly stressful to almost anyone in similar circumstances in the person's culture

Without Marked Stressor(s): if psychotic symptoms do not occur shortly after, or are not apparently in response to events that, singly or together, would be markedly stressful to almost anyone in similar circumstances in the person's culture

With Postpartum Onset: if onset within 4 weeks postpartum

Treatment of Brief Psychotic Disorder:

Treatment for this disorder generally includes fast-acting antipsychotic medication and often hospitalization. Therapy can assist in helping the individual and family members understand what is happening, and sometimes continues after the symptoms have disappeared.

Because this disorder lasts only a short time, and because it is not certain to happen again, long-term "maintenance" treatment is normally not needed or desired.