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Brief reactive psychosis - Symptom

Symptoms:

Symptoms of brief reactive psychosis may include the following:

  • Disorganized behavior
  • False ideas about what is taking place (delusions)
  • Hearing or seeing things that aren't real (hallucinations)
  • Strange speech or language

The symptoms are not due to alcohol or other drug abuse and they last longer than a day, but less than a month.

Signs and tests:

A psychiatric evaluation can confirm the diagnosis. A physical exam and laboratory testing can rule out medical illness as the cause of the symptoms.

  • Reviewed last on: 2/7/2010
  • David B. Merrill, MD, Assistant Clnical Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

International Early Psychosis Association Writing Group. International clinical practice guidelines for early psychosis. Br J Psychiatry. 2005;187:s120-s124.

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