3/28/2014 Psychotic Disorders Symptoms, Signs, Diagnosis, Test, Treatment - MedicineNet

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Psychotic Disorders

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Psychotic disorder facts

What are the different types of psychotic disorders?

How common are psychotic disorders?

What are causes and risk factors for psychotic disorders in children,

teenagers, and adults?

What are psychotic disorder symptoms and signs?

How are psychotic disorders diagnosed?

What are the treatments for psychotic disorders?

What are potential complications of medications used to treat psychotic

disorders?

Is it possible to treat psychotic disorders without medication?

What are complications of psychotic disorders?

What is the prognosis for people with a psychotic disorder?

Can psychotic disorders be prevented?

Where can people find additional information about psychotic disorders?

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Psychotic disorder facts

Psychotic disorders include schizophrenia and a number of lesser-

known disorders.

The number of people who develop a psychotic disorder tends to vary

depending on the country, age, and gender of the sufferer, as well as

on the specific kind of disorder.

There are genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological risk

factors for developing a psychotic disorder.

Usually with any psychotic disorder, the person's inner world and

behavior have notably changed.

When assessing a person suffering from psychotic symptoms, health

care professionals will take a careful history of the symptoms from the

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Psychotic Disorders Index Find a Local Doctor

Next: What are causes and risk factors for psychotic disorders in children,

teenagers, and adults?

person and loved ones as well as conduct a medical evaluation

including necessary laboratory tests and a mental health assessment.

Most effective treatments for psychotic disorders are comprehensive,

involving appropriate medications, mental health education, and

psychotherapy for the sufferer of psychosis and his or her loved ones.

It will also include the involvement of community supportive services

when needed.

Prevention of psychosis primarily involves preventing or decreasing the

impact of factors that put the person at risk for developing a psychotic

disorder.

What are the different types of psychotic disorders?

In addition to the more commonly known mental

disorders like schizophrenia, other psychotic

disorders include brief psychotic disorder, delusional

disorder, schizoaffective disorder, substance-induced

psychotic disorder, psychosis due to a medical condition, and psychotic

disorder, not otherwise specified (NOS). Women who recently had a baby

(are in the postpartum state) may uncommonly develop postpartum

psychosis. Also, mood disorders like major depressive disorder and bipolar

disorder can become severe enough to result in psychotic symptoms like

hallucinating or having delusions, also called psychotic features.

How common are psychotic disorders?

The percentage of people who suffer from any psychotic symptom at any

one time (prevalence) varies greatly from country to country: as little as

0.66% in Vietnam to 45.84% in Nepal. While the figure of one out of 100

people who qualify for the diagnosis of schizophrenia may sound low, that

translates into about 3 million people in the United States alone who have

schizophrenia. The first time a person has psychotic symptoms is usually

between the ages of 18 and 24 years; related, less severe (prodromal)

symptoms often start during the teenage years. Postpartum psychosis

occurs in one or two out of 1,000 births but increases greatly, up to one in

seven mothers, in women who had postpartum psychosis in the past. Men

are thought to develop psychotic disorders more often and at younger ages

than women.

Medically Reviewed by a Doctor on 5/1/2013

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