Psychosis Health Dictionary

A severe mental disorder in which the individual loses contact with reality. Three main categories of psychosis are recognized: schizophrenia, manic–depressive illness, and organic brain syndrome (see brain syndrome, organic). The main feature of psychotic illnesses is that they cause a person to have a distorted view of life.

Symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, thought disorders, loss of affect, mania, and depression. The cause is most likely to be a disorder of brain function. Antipsychotic drugs are usually effective in controlling symptoms. Long-term treatment, rehabilitation, and support are often needed.

One of a group of mental disorders in which the affected person loses contact with reality. Thought processes are so disturbed that the person does not always realise that he or she is ill. Symptoms include DELUSIONS, HALLUCINATIONS, loss of emotion, MANIA, DEPRESSION, poverty of thought and seriously abnormal behaviour. Psychoses include SCHIZOPHRENIA, MANIC DEPRESSION and organically based mental disorders. (See also MENTAL ILLNESS.)

n. one of a group of *mental illnesses that feature loss of contact with reality. The psychoses include *schizophrenia, major disorders of affect (see bipolar affective disorder), major *paranoid states, drug intoxication, and organic mental disorders. They can be chronic or transient. Psychotic disorders manifest some of the following: *delusions, *hallucinations, severe thought disturbances, abnormal alteration of mood, poverty of thought, ego disturbances, and inappropriate *affect. Many cases of psychotic illness respond well to *antipsychotic drugs. —psychotic adj.