On this page
Basics
- Summary
- Start Here
- Diagnosis and Tests
- Treatments and Therapies
Learn More
- Related Issues
- Specifics
- Genetics
See, Play and Learn
- No links available
Research
- Clinical Trials
- Journal Articles
Resources
- Find an Expert
For You
- Children
- Patient Handouts
Summary
Psychotic disorders are severe mental disorders that cause abnormal thinking and perceptions. People with psychoses lose touch with reality. Two of the main symptoms are delusions and hallucinations. Delusions are false beliefs, such as thinking that someone is plotting against you or that the TV is sending you secret messages. Hallucinations are false perceptions, such as hearing, seeing, or feeling something that is not there.
Schizophrenia is one type of psychotic disorder. People with bipolar disorder may also have psychotic symptoms. Other problems that can cause psychosis include alcohol and some drugs, brain tumors, brain infections, and stroke.
Treatment depends on the cause of the psychosis. It might involve drugs to control symptoms and talk therapy. Hospitalization is an option for serious cases where a person might be dangerous to himself or others.
Start Here
- Psychosis (NAMI)
- Understanding Psychosis
(National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish
Diagnosis and Tests
- Mental Health Screening (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
- Brain Stimulation Therapies (National Institute of Mental Health)
- Mental Health Medications (National Institute of Mental Health)
- Psychotherapies (National Institute of Mental Health)
- What Is Psychiatry? (American Psychiatric Association)
- Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Specifics
- Postpartum Psychosis (Postpartum Support International)
- Schizoaffective Disorder (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Schizophrenia: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Genetics
- Schizoaffective disorder: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Psychotic Disorders (National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention for persons with early psychosis: A...
- Article: A multicenter, single-arm, open-label interventional study of adherence to brexpiprazole during...
- Article: Baseline symptom-related white matter tracts predict individualized treatment response to 12-week...
- Psychotic Disorders -- see more articles
Find an Expert
- American Psychiatric Association
- FindTreatment.gov (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
- NAMI
- National Institute of Mental Health Also in Spanish
Children
- Hearing Voices and Seeing Things (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
Patient Handouts
- Brief psychotic disorder (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Hallucinations (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Major depression with psychotic features (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Mental status testing (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Psychosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Schizoaffective disorder (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
