Brief psychotic disorder: symptoms, causes and treatment

This strange mental alteration lasts very little time, and the patients recover completely.

Thanks to the media, movies and television, the collective imagination of society has established, more or less clearly, what a psychotic disorder consists of and what happens to the person who suffers from it. However, these beliefs are plagued by stereotypes that can lead to confusion.

Psychotic disorders or psychosis are mental disorders in which the person experiences impairment in the ability to think, to react emotionally and to interpret reality. However, this disorder can appear briefly in previously healthy people, being classified as a brief psychotic disorder..

What is brief psychotic disorder?

Brief psychotic disorder is a state during which a person experiences a series of psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, or disorganized thinking and speech. psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, or disorganized thinking and speech, among many among many others.

However, unlike other psychotic disorders, the brief psychotic disorder appears suddenly and unexpectedly in presumably healthy people. The duration of these episodes is very brief, lasting from one day to one month at most. Also, once it is over, the person can recover completely and without the need for this incident to be repeated.

As mentioned above, what distinguishes the brief psychotic disorder is that it does not have to be associated with any other psychotic disorder, nor with the effect of drugs or any organic condition such as a brain tumor.

Although it is considered a disorder of low prevalence, i.e., uncommon, several studies have found that it usually appears in people between 30 and 50 years of age and that the probability of affecting women is twice as high as in men.

Types of brief psychotic disorder

Three subtypes of brief psychotic disorders have been detected, which can be classified according to the cause of the disorder.

1. Following an identifiable stressor

This subtype of disorder is also known as brief reactive psychosis and is generated by the occurrence of a traumatic, stressful or emotionally shocking event, such as surviving an accident or catastrophe, abuse or the death of a close person.

2. Unidentifiable stressor

In this subtype it is not possible to identify or specify the reason that has caused the brief psychotic disorder in the person.

Following childbirth

According to some research, 1 in 10,000 women experience an episode of brief psychotic disorder shortly after childbirth. Specifically, the greatest number of cases have been recorded approximately four weeks after childbirth..

Symptomatology

The brief psychotic disorder shares much of its symptomatology with many other psychotic disorders, however for it to be classified as such it is necessary that these symptoms only remain between one day and one month.. In the case that they last longer, or more than six months, the possibility that it is any other disorder will be considered.

The symptomatology present in the brief psychotic disorder ranges from delusions, hallucinations or disorientation, to catatonic behavior and attention and memory disturbances.

1. Delusions

Delusions are a series of beliefs that, although firmly believed by the patient, have no logical basis, nor can they be demonstrated in any way.

Although there are different types of delusions, in the brief psychotic disorder, persecution delusions predominate. predominate delusions of persecution, delusions of grandeur and delusions of reference..

2. Hallucinations

Likewise, another of the most common symptoms within psychotic disorders are hallucinations. In these, the person perceives in a real way facts or images that have never taken place and in which he/she believes and in which he believes completely not perceiving them as hallucinations.

• Article related: "Hallucinations: definition, causes, and symptoms".

3. Disorganized thought and language

During the episode of psychosis, the person abandons any logical relationship of his thoughts, and ideas appear in a chaotic and disorganized way.

As a result of this disorganized thinking, the patient experiences disturbances in attention and memory processes, as well as great difficulties in language and speech..

Some examples of these symptoms are talking incessantly about the same subject, continually moving from one subject to another, and presenting a speech full of incoherencies.

4. Catatonic behavior

Catatonic behavior can include a large number of motor disturbances. These alterations include paralysis or immobility, hyperactivity, restlessness or excitement or mutism. Stereotyped movements, echolalia or ecopraxia are also included.

5. Other symptoms

In addition to all of the symptoms listed above, there are a number of behaviors or behaviors directly related to this type of disorder. These signs include:

• Disorientation.
• Bizarre behaviors or behaviors.
• Major changes in daily habits.
• Neglect of hygiene and personal care.
• Inability to make decisions.

Causes

Although the specific causes of this disorder have not yet been established, it is hypothesized that it is the result of the union of several hereditary, biological, environmental and psychological factors. hereditary, biological, environmental and psychological factors..

Regarding the hereditary components of the brief psychotic disorder, it has been observed that it tends to recur within the same family. Also, a family history of psychosis family history of psychosis has also been established as a risk factor..

However, the fact of having a family history of psychosis as well as of this disorder is not a sufficient condition to suffer from it. For this, it is necessary that the hereditary factor is accompanied by stressful factors or contexts that facilitate the appearance of this disorder.

On the other hand and according to some psychodynamic currents, the appearance of the brief psychotic disorder would have its origin in an incapacity of the person to manage his survival mechanisms. This means that the patient does not have the capacity to withstand or overcome a highly stressful event, so that the disorder arises as a coping mechanism. so that the disorder arises as an escape mechanism.

Diagnosis

By means of an exhaustive psychological evaluation, the clinician should check if the patient has suffered any of the situations or circumstances that can trigger the brief psychotic disorder, such as physical, psychological or sexual abuse, experience of a traumatic event, presence of a crime, etc.presence of a crime, etc.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), this disorder is classified as a disorder of brief duration unrelated to any type of mood disorder, substance use or psychotic disorder.

In order to make a reliable diagnosis of brief psychotic disorder, the clinician must ensure that the person meets the following requirements:

• Presence of one or more psychotic symptoms. (delusions, hallucinations, negative symptomatology, etc.).
• Duration of symptoms between one day and one month after which the person has completely recovered.
• Symptomatology is not explained by the presence of other psychotic disorders or by the consumption of toxic substances.

Treatment and prognosis

Since the disorder should subside in less than a month there is no established treatment for thisThe treatment for schizophrenia is very similar to the intervention for acute episodes of schizophrenia.

However, it is necessary to increase and maintain precautions for the duration of the episode, given that the person may self-harm, harm others, or even commit suicide. or even commit suicide.

Also, sometimes the onset of a brief psychotic disorder is a warning sign that the person may be developing any other type of serious mental disorder, so it is vitally important to closely monitor the patient's progress.