The Phenomenology of Acute Organic Psychosis
British Journal of Psychiatry September 1, 1987 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.151.3.324
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractIn 74 patients with acute organic psychosis, a distinctive pattern of delusions, perceptual disturbance, and thought disorder emerged that was markedly different from the pattern in 74 acute schizophrenics. The findings challenge theories that equate schizophrenia with an organic psychosis, suggesting that the psychopathology of acute organic psychosis arises from fundamentally different origins than that of schizophrenia.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 148 |
| Population | Patients with acute organic psychosis and acute schizophrenics |
| Citations | 137 |
| Key finding | The pattern of delusions, perceptual disturbance, and thought disorder in acute organic psychosis is distinct from that in acute schizophrenia, implying different underlying origins. |
Abstract
The psychopathology of acute organic psychosis was investigated by interviewing 74 patients using the Present State Examination (PSE). Their delusions, perceptual disturbance, thought disorder, and emotional disorder were categorised and then compared with those seen in 74 acute schizophrenics. In acute organic psychosis there was a particular pattern to the delusions, perceptual disturbance, and thought disorder, which was quite unlike that seen in acute schizophrenia. These results have implications for theories claiming that schizophrenia is an organic psychosis. It is suggested that the psychopathology in acute organic psychosis has very different origins from that seen in schizophrenia.