Note: my example of a non-bizarre delusion can also be classified as an idea of reference (in which you think that TV or songs are talking about you)
Many psychiatric and general medical conditions can have symptoms of psychosis and mood disorders. The way to figure them out is to look at the timeline and the onset of the psychotic vs. mood symptoms (which came first, are they always at the same time, was there something else going on)
| Disorder | Duration | Psychotic Symptoms | Mood Disorder |
| Schizophrenia | More than 1 month of symptoms, disturbance persisting for more than 6 months | Present (delusions, hallucinations) | Brief duration of mood symptoms |
| Schizoaffective Disorder | Same as schizophrenia | Present all along (with and in the absence of a mood disorder) | Brief and only at time of psychotic symptoms |
| Mood Disorder with Psychotic Features | Meeting the criteria for depression or bipolar I/II | Only at time of mood disorder | Present in the absence of psychotic symptoms |
| Schizophreniform Disorder | More than 1 month of symptoms, disturbance persisting less than 6 months | Present | Brief duration of mood symptoms |
| Substance-Induced Psychosis | During or within 1 month of intoxication or withdrawal (longer implies underlying psychotic disorder) | Prominent hallucinations or delusions | May exist concurrently |
| Delusional Disorder | At least 1 month | Non-bizarre delusions (has never met criterion A in DSM for schizophrenia) | Brief in relation to the duration of delusional period |
*Brief psychotic disorder: symptoms more than 1 day, less than 1 month and not better accounted for by another psychotic disorder
You Sir/Madam are the enemy of confusion everywhere!
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