Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Psychosis is a severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions lose contact with external reality. It's characterized by delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking.
This is an episode where an individual suffers from sudden onset of psychotic symptoms like delusions or hallucinations.
Schizoaffective Disorder: A mental health disorder marked by a combination of schizophrenia symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions, and mood disorder symptoms, such as depression or mania.
A mental health condition causing extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania) and lows (depression). Psychosis can occur during severe episodes.