Diagnostic criteria are agreed rules for identifying a condition consistently. For schizophrenia, they describe characteristic symptoms, their duration, changes in functioning and the exclusion of other explanations. Hallucinations, delusions and disorganised speech are important features…Continue Reading
A psychiatric assessment is a structured conversation and examination aimed at understanding mental health difficulties. For suspected psychosis, it explores perceptions, beliefs, mood, thinking, sleep and changes in behaviour. The clinician asks when experiences began…Continue Reading
Medical investigations help identify conditions that can cause or worsen psychotic symptoms and establish a baseline for treatment. The choice depends on the history and examination. Clinicians may request blood tests, a physical examination or…Continue Reading
Differential diagnosis is the process of comparing plausible explanations for a person’s symptoms. Psychosis can occur in schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, severe depression and substance-related conditions. Neurological illness, delirium and some other medical disorders…Continue Reading
Symptoms of schizophrenia are commonly organised into psychotic, negative and cognitive groups. Psychotic symptoms include hallucinations, delusions and disorganised speech or behaviour. They involve changes in perception, interpretation or organisation of experience. The older term…Continue Reading
Diagnostic uncertainty means that available information does not yet support a confident or specific diagnosis. It is common early in psychosis because several conditions initially look similar. The relationship between mood and psychosis may become…Continue Reading
Two people with schizophrenia can have very different experiences. One may mainly struggle with voices and suspicious beliefs; another may have greater difficulty with motivation, attention or organising daily life. Symptoms also vary within the…Continue Reading
Psychosis refers to a state in which perceptions or beliefs become substantially disconnected from shared reality. Common features include hallucinations, delusions and markedly disorganised thinking. A person might hear a voice without an external speaker…Continue Reading
Perception is the process of interpreting sensory information into meaningful experiences. During psychosis, a person may hear, see or feel something without a corresponding external stimulus. These experiences are called hallucinations. Perceptual changes can also…Continue Reading
Beliefs help people interpret events and decide how to respond. During psychosis, an interpretation may become fixed and resistant to evidence that would usually encourage reconsideration. A person may believe they are being monitored, have…Continue Reading