Psychotic Disorders

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

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• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

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Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

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For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Psychotic disorders are severe mental disorders that cause abnormal thinking and perceptions. People with psychoses lose touch with reality. Two of the main symptoms are delusions and hallucinations. Delusions are false beliefs, such as thinking that someone is plotting against you or that the TV is sending you secret messages. Hallucinations are false perceptions, such as hearing, seeing, or feeling something that is not there.

Schizophrenia is one type of psychotic disorder. People with bipolar disorder may also have psychotic symptoms. Other problems that can cause psychosis include alcohol and some drugs, brain tumors, brain infections, and stroke.

Treatment depends on the cause of the psychosis. It might involve drugs to control symptoms and talk therapy. Hospitalization is an option for serious cases where a person might be dangerous to himself or others.

Start Here

• Psychosis (NAMI)
• Understanding Psychosis (National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Mental Health Screening (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Brain Stimulation Therapies (National Institute of Mental Health)
• Mental Health Medications (National Institute of Mental Health)
• Psychotherapies (National Institute of Mental Health)
• What Is Psychiatry? (American Psychiatric Association)

Living With

• Drug-Induced Movement-Disorders (American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists) - PDF
• Metabolic Side Effects of Psychiatric Medications (American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists) - PDF

Related Issues

• Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Specifics

• Postpartum Psychosis Help (Postpartum Support International)
• Schizoaffective Disorder (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Schizophrenia: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Substance- and Medication-Induced Psychotic Disorders (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish

Genetics

• Schizoaffective disorder: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Psychotic Disorders (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Outcomes of an adapted prolonged exposure psychotherapy for people with early...
• Article: Peer-led recovery groups for people with psychosis in South Africa (PRIZE):...
• Article: Efficacy of the unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of comorbid emotional...
• Psychotic Disorders -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American Psychiatric Association
• FindTreatment.gov (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) Also in Spanish
• NAMI
• National Institute of Mental Health Also in Spanish

Children

• Hearing Voices and Seeing Things (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)

Patient Handouts

• Brief psychotic disorder (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Hallucinations (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Major depression with psychotic features (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Mental status testing (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Psychosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Schizoaffective disorder (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish