Related Conditions
Delusional Disorder
Delusional disorder involves a person having false beliefs (delusions) that persist for at least one month. The delusions can be bizarre (about things that cannot possibly occur) or non-bizarre (things that are possible but not likely, such as a belief about being followed or poisoned).
Apart from the delusion(s), it does not involve other symptoms. The person may not appear to have any problems with functioning and behavior except when they talk about or act on the delusion.
Delusional beliefs can lead to problems with relationships or at work, and to legal troubles. Delusional disorder is rare: around 0.2% of people will have it in their lifetime. Delusional disorder is treated with individual psychotherapy, although people rarely seek treatment as they often do not feel they need treatment.
Brief Psychotic Disorder
Brief psychotic disorder occurs when a person experiences a sudden short period of psychotic behavior. This episode lasts between one day and one month and then the symptoms completely disappear, and the person returns to normal.
Brief psychotic disorder involves one (or more) of the following symptoms:
- Delusions,
- Hallucinations,
- Disorganized speech
- Grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior.
Although the disturbance is short, individuals with brief psychotic disorder typically experience emotional turmoil or overwhelming confusion. Brief psychotic disorder can occur at any age, though the average age at onset is the mid-30s. It is twice as common in females than in males.
It is important to distinguish symptoms of brief psychotic disorder from culturally appropriate responses. For example, in some religious ceremonies, an individual may report hearing voices, but these do not generally persist and are not perceived as abnormal by most members of the individual’s community.
Schizophreniform Disorder
The symptoms of schizophreniform disorder are similar to those of schizophrenia, but the symptoms only last a short time—at least one month but less than six months. If the symptoms last longer than six months, then the diagnosis changes to schizophrenia.
Schizophreniform disorder involves two or more of the following symptoms, each present for a significant portion of time during a one-month period ( or less if successfully treated)::
- Delusions,
- Hallucinations
- Disorganized speech,
- Grossly disorganized behavior or catatonic behavior, and/or
- Negative symptoms.
A diagnosis of schizophreniform disorder does not require problems in functioning (as schizophrenia does). In the U.S., schizophreniform disorder is significantly less common than schizophrenia. About one-third of individuals with an initial diagnosis of schizophreniform disorder recover within the 6-month period and schizophreniform disorder is their final diagnosis. Most of the remaining two-thirds of individuals will eventually receive a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.
Schizoaffective Disorder
People with schizoaffective disorder experience symptoms a major mood episode of depression or bipolar disorder (major depression or mania) at the same time as symptoms of schizophrenia (delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, grossly disorganized behavior, or negative symptoms). Symptoms of a major mood episode must be present for the majority of the duration of the active illness and there must be a period of at least two weeks when delusions or hallucinations are present in the absence of a mood episode.
Schizoaffective disorder is about one-third as common as schizophrenia, affecting about 0.3% of people at some time in their lives. The typical age at onset of schizoaffective disorder is early adulthood, although it can begin anywhere from adolescence to late in life. A significant number of individuals initially diagnosed with another psychotic illness later receive the diagnosis schizoaffective disorder when the pattern of mood episodes becomes apparent.