The aim of this study was to define the descriptive features of brief psychotic disorder. Seventy-five patients were recruited for this study who were admitted to hospital with the diagnoses of hysterical psychosis, pseudo psychosis, brief reactive psychosis and brief psychotic disorder between 1985 and 1995. By reviewing their records, sociodemographic variables, psychosocial stress factors, familial patterns, premorbid personalities, psychological signs and symptoms and durations of their disorders have been assessed. The diagnostic abilities of the DSM-III, DSM-III-R, and DSM-IV were compared. In conclusion, the common characteristics of these disorders were acute onset following a psychosocial stress factor, returning to premorbid level of functioning and duration of the disorder longer than a month.
