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Transient psychotic disorder: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025
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Transient psychotic disorder is characterized by delusions, hallucinations, or other psychotic symptoms lasting more than 1 day but less than 1 month, with possible return to normal premorbid functioning. It usually develops following severe stress in susceptible individuals.
Brief psychotic disorder is uncommon. Premorbid personality disorders (eg, paranoid, narcissistic, schizotypal, borderline) predispose to its development. Severe stress, such as the loss of a loved one, may precipitate the disorder. The disorder is characterized by at least one psychotic symptom: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, or grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior. The disorder is not diagnosed if the symptoms are more consistent with a psychotic mood disorder, schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, a medical illness, or adverse effects of medications (prescription or illicit). The differential diagnosis between brief psychotic disorder and schizophrenia in a patient with no previous psychotic symptoms is based on the duration of symptoms: if the duration is longer than 1 month, the case does not meet the criteria for brief psychotic disorder.
Treatment is the same as for acute schizophrenia; observation and short-term antipsychotic therapy may be recommended.