What is Psychosis
This is where your perception of reality is not reality. This can be hallucinations, delusions etc. and really it is disruption to cognitive abilities
Key features
The key features of Psychotic disorders are
- Delusions: thoughts that are fixed and cannot be changed. Can be bizarre or not.
- Hallucinations: Percieve things that aren’t there.
- Disorganised thinking and speech
- Grossly disorganised or abnormal motor behaviour
- Negative symptoms
Schizophrenia
A: 2 or more of the following much be present for a significant portion of time during a 1-month period. At least 1 must be of the first 3
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Disorganised speech
- Drossly disorganised or catatonic behaviour
- Negative symptoms (Diminished emotional expression or avolition)
B: For a significant portion of the time since the onset functioning must be below expected C: continuous signs of disturbance persist for at least 6 months. Active phase symptoms (A.)must be at least 1 month but only a single symptom is needed for the other months. D: All other disorders have been excluded as a cause E: It isn’t a substance or other drug F: If there is history of autism there must be prominent delusions or hallucinations
Disorders listed as psychotic spectrum disorders
- Schizotypal PD
- Delusional disorder
- Brief psychotic disorder
- Schizophreniform
- Schizoaffective disorder
- Catatonia
- Substance induced psychosis
How to assess?
- Medical exam
- Mental state exam
- In-depth history (you need to know how long this is happening)
- Co-lateral information (talk to someone else who knows them)
Treatment and management
- Holistic support
- Medication
- psychotherapy
- Community support
- Nursing
- culture specific interventions
- Spiritual interventions
Summary
Associated Lecture, comments and requirements
Associated lecture: L13 Psychological Medicine Introduction to psychotic spectrum disorders
Objectives
- Know the definition of psychosis
- Know the key features that define psychotic spectrum disorders
- Know which disorders are included in the DSM 5 TR as psychotic spectrum disorders
- Be able to distiguish between the various psychotic spectrum disorders included in the DSM 5 tr
- Know the prevalence social impact and cost of schizophrenia in nz
- Know how psychosis is asses
- Know how psychosis and schizophrenia is typically treated