Psychosis Flashcards
What is psychosis?
Psychosis is defined as a mental state in which reality is greatly distorted.
How does psychosis present?
It typically presents with:
- Delusions: a fixed false belief , which is firmly held despite evidence to the contrary and goes against the individual’s normal social and cultural belief system
- Hallucinations: a perception in the absence of an external stimulus . It is a common feature of psychosis
- Thought disorder: an impairment in the ability to form thoughts from logically connected ideas
What is the most common psychotic disorder?
Schizophrenia.
In the UK, who is commonly affected by psychosis?
Higher prevalence of psychosis in the black and ethnic minority.
Give examples of causes of psychosis
Note: non-organic and organic
Briefly describe the ICD-10 Classification of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Schizotypal disorder
- Persistent delusional disorder
- Acute and transient psychotic disorders
- Induced delusional disorder
- Schizoaffective disorder
- Other non-organic psychotic disorders
- Unspecified non-organic psychosis
What is schizotypal disorder?
Also known as latent schizophrenia.
It is characterised by eccentric behaviour, suspiciousness, unusual speech and deviations of thinking and affect that is similar to those suffering with schizophrenia.
These individuals however, do not suffer from hallucinations or delusions.
There is an increased risk of schizotypal disorder in those who have a first-degree relative with schizophrenia.
What is acute and transient psychotic disorders?
A psychotic episode presenting very similarly to schizophrenia but lasting <1 month and so not meeting the criteria for schizophrenia.
What is schizoaffective disorder?
Characterised by both symptoms of schizophrenia and a mood disorder (depression or mania) in the same episode of illness.
The mood symptoms should meet the criteria for either a depressive illness or a manic episode together with one or two typical symptoms of schizophrenia.
What is persistent delusional disorder?
The development of a single or set of delusions for a period of at least 3 months in which the delusion is the only, or the most prominent, symptom with other areas of thinking and functioning well preserved, unlike in schizophrenia.
The content of the delusion is often persecutory, grandiose or hypochondriacal in nature.
The onset and content of the delusion is often related to the patient’s life situation.
Symptoms often respond well to antipsychotics.
What is induced delusional disorder (Folie à deux)?
Induced delusional disorder, also known as ‘ shared paranoid disorder ’, is an uncommon disorder characterised by the presence of similar delusions in two or more individuals.
Folie imposée is where a dominant person (‘primary’) initially forms a delusional belief during a psychotic episode and imposes it on another person(s) (‘secondary’).
Folie simultanée is when two people considered to suffer independently from psychosis, influence the content of each other’s delusions so that they become identical or very similar.
What is mood disorders with psychosis?
Psychosis occurs secondary to depression or mania. On the other hand, schizophrenia usually develops spontaneously.
What is puerperal psychosis (postpartum psychosis)?
The acute onset of a manic or psychotic episode shortly after childbirth (usually develops in the first 2 weeks following birth).
It affects approximately 0.2% of women.
What is late paraphrenia?
A term that is sometimes used to describe late-onset schizophrenia . It is not coded for in ICD-10.
Hallucinations and delusions (particularly paranoid) are prominent, whereas thought disorders and catatonic symptoms are rare.
