Psychosis
Abnormal condition of the mind / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Psychosis is a condition of the mind or psyche that results in difficulties determining what is real and what is not real.[3] Symptoms may include delusions and hallucinations, among other features.[3] Additional symptoms are incoherent speech and behavior that is inappropriate for a given situation.[3] There may also be sleep problems, social withdrawal, lack of motivation, and difficulties carrying out daily activities.[3] Psychosis can have serious adverse outcomes.[3]
This article needs more reliable medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources. (February 2021) |
Psychosis | |
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Other names | Psychotic break (colloquial) |
Specialty | Psychiatry, clinical psychology |
Symptoms | False beliefs, seeing or hearing things that others do not see or hear, incoherent speech and behavior[1] |
Complications | Self-harm, suicide[2] |
Causes | Mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder), trauma, sleep deprivation, some medical conditions, certain medications, drugs (including alcohol, caffeine and cannabis)[1] |
Treatment | Antipsychotics, counselling, social support[2] |
Prognosis | Depends on cause[2] |
Frequency | 3% of people at some point in their life (US)[1] |
Psychosis can have several different causes.[4] These include mental illness, such as schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, sensory deprivation,[5] Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome or cerebral beriberi[6] and in rare cases major depression (psychotic depression). Other causes include: trauma, sleep deprivation, some medical conditions, certain medications, and drugs such as alcohol, cannabis, hallucinogens, and stimulants.[7] One type, known as postpartum psychosis, can occur after giving birth.[8] The neurotransmitter dopamine is believed to play an important role.[9][10] Acute psychosis is termed primary if it results from a psychiatric condition and secondary if it is caused by another medical condition or drugs.[7] The diagnosis of a mental-health condition requires excluding other potential causes.[11] Testing may be done to check for central nervous system diseases, toxins, or other health problems as a cause.[12]
Treatment may include antipsychotic medication, psychotherapy, and social support.[1][2] Early treatment appears to improve outcomes.[1] Medications appear to have a moderate effect.[13][14] Outcomes depend on the underlying cause.[2] In the United States about 3% of people develop psychosis at some point in their lives.[1] The condition has been described since at least the 4th century BC by Hippocrates and possibly as early as 1500 BC in the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus.[15][16]