Brief Psychotic Disorder

Prevalence

  • Brief psychotic disorder is twofold more common in women than in men.

  • It may appear in adolescence or early adulthood, and onset can occur across the lifespan, with the average age at onset being the mid-30s.

Risk factors

Preexisting personality disorders and traits (psychoticism domain) may predispose the individual to the development of the disorder.

Symptoms

  • Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech (e.g., frequent derailment or incoherence).

  • Grossly abnormal psychomotor behavior, including catatonia.

  • Emotional turmoil or overwhelming confusion.

  • Impairment may be severe, supervision may be required.

  • An episode of the disturbance lasts at least 1 day but less than 1 month, and the individual eventually has a full return to the premorbid level of functioning.