Psychosis
Pronunciation: sy-KOH-sis
A clinical state characterized by a break from reality, typically involving hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, or severely disorganized behavior.
Full Definition
Psychosis is a syndrome, not a diagnosis, and may occur across a range of conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder with psychotic features, major depressive disorder with psychotic features, substance-induced psychotic disorder, and medical conditions affecting the brain. In behavioral health editing, 'psychosis' and 'psychotic disorder' are not interchangeable—the former describes a clinical state, the latter a diagnostic category. Editors must also be alert to the lay misuse of 'psychotic' as a general pejorative, which is inappropriate in clinical documents. The term is correctly spelled with a 'y' (not 'pschosis') and is pluralized as 'psychoses.'
Usage
Usage note: Plural is 'psychoses.' Never use 'psychotic' as a colloquial intensifier in clinical documents. Distinguish clearly between 'psychosis' (state) and 'psychotic disorder' (diagnosis).
In Context
- "The client presented to the emergency department in acute psychosis, unable to distinguish staff from perceived persecutors." — Emergency department psychiatric evaluation
- "The diagnostic impression noted substance-induced psychosis rather than a primary psychotic disorder." — Diagnostic assessment report