Psychotic Disorders P.1 Flashcards
(14 cards)
What is Psychosis?
Hallucinations: Sensory experiences that appear real but are created by the mind, such as hearing voices or seeing objects that do not exist.
Delusions: Firmly held beliefs that are not based on reality, such as the belief that others are plotting against the person or that they have special powers.
Disorganized thinking: Difficulty in organizing thoughts, leading to confused speech and behaviour.
Lack of motivation: Reduced interest and engagement in daily activities, including work, school and social interactions
Etiology of Psychosis
Genetic Factors: Genetic predisposition, including inherited risk factors can contribute to development of psychosis.
Neurodevelopmental factors: Disruptions in brain development, such as during fetal development or early childhood can increase risk of psychosis.
Environmental factors: Exposure to stressful life events, trauma, substance abuse or infections can trigger the onset of psychosis.
Neurochemical imbalances: Dysregulation of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and glutamate can lead to emergence of psychotic symptoms
Shizophrenia
A chronic and severe mental disorder characterized by hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking and impaired social and occupational functioning
Schizoaffective disorder
A condition that invovles a combination of schizophrenia symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions and mood disorder symptoms such as depression or mania.
Delusional Disorder
A condition in which the individual has one or more delusions, or false beliefs but does not have the other symptoms typically associated with shizophrenia
Substance-Induced Psychotic Disorder
A condition in which psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions are directly caused by the use of or withdrawal from a substance, such as drugs or alcohol.
Brief Psychotic Disorder
A condition in which an individual experiences a sudden onset of psychotic symptoms, such as delusions or hallucinations that typically last for less than a month.
Delusional Disorder P.2
A mental health condition characterized by the presence of one or more persistent delusions.
These delusions are typically non-bizzare in nature, meaning they involve situations that could potentially occur in real life, such as being followed, poisoned or having a special ability or relationship.
Understanding Delusional Disorder
Persistent Beliefs: Individuals with delusional disorder hold on to irrational beliefs that they firmly believe to be true, despite evidence to the contrary.
Detachment from Reality: These beliefs are not based in reality and may be disconnected from the individual’s actual circumstances or experiences Functional Impairment: The delusional beliefs can significantly impact the individual’s daily life, causing distress and difficulties in personal, social or occupational functioning.
Variety of delusions: Delusional disorder can manifest in various forms, including persecutory, grandiose, erotomania and jealous delusions emong others
Types of Delusional Disorder
Erotomanic: a delusional belief that another person, often of higher status, is in love with the individual
Grandiose: A delusional belief of having exceptional abilities, wealth, power identity or a special relationship with a prominent person or entity.
Jealous: A delusional belief that one’s spouse or sexual partner is unfaithful.
Persecutory: A delusional belief that the individual is being conspired against, harassed or persecuted.
Somatic: A delusional belief that the individual has a physical defect or medical condition
Mixed: a combination of 2 or more subtypes of delusional disorder.
Diagnostic Criteria for Delusional Disorder
Presence of delusions: Must have one or more delusions that are persistent, lasting for at least a month.
Functional impairment: must cause significant impairment in social/occupational functioning.
Exclusion of schizophrenia
Absence of mood episodes
Absence of substance abuse
Brief Psychotic Disorder P.2
Sudden Onset of symptoms: at least one of the symptoms: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech or grossly disorganized/catatonic behaviour
Duration of symptoms: Must last for at least 1 day but less than 1 month.
Return to previous functioning: Individual must eventually return to their previous level of functioning.
Substance-induced psychotic disorder
Substance use: psychotic symptoms must be directly caused by the use of a substance (drugs, alcohol) or medication.
Psychotic symptoms: include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and catatonic behaviour
Significant distress/impairment
Exclusions: Symptoms must not be better explained by another mental disorder
Psychotic disorder due to another medical condition
These psychotic symptoms are directly caused by an underlying medical condition, such as brain injury, stroke or neurodegenerative disorder.
