Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (795 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Disorders in which there is a loss of ego boundaries or a gross impairment in reality testing with delusions or prominent hallucinations. (From dsm-iv, 1994)
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Disorder, Psychotic; Disorders, Psychotic; Psychotic Disorder; Psychoses; Psychosis; Psychosis, Brief Reactive; Brief Reactive Psychoses; Brief Reactive Psychosis.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders
- Narrower topics
- Psychoses, Substance-Induced
Related concepts
- Dsm-Iv
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 63,543 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Psychotic Disorders” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 11,300 of them (17.8%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 26,803 records.
Reviews account for 7,396 records (11.6%) and meta-analyses for 978. Randomized controlled trials number 2,088 (3.3%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 26,803 |
| 2000-2009 | 9,462 |
| 2010-2019 | 15,978 |
| 2020 onward | 11,300 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 7,396 | 11.6% |
| Meta-analyses | 978 | 1.5% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 2,088 | 3.3% |
Method: PubMed query "Psychotic Disorders"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in psychiatry and psychology
Research on mental health and behaviour relies on questionnaires, interviews and rating scales rather than physical measurements, so how a condition was defined and measured shapes every result. Many studies are observational or small, placebo responses can be large, and findings in one group or culture may not carry over to another. Nothing on this page is advice about diagnosis or treatment; anyone worried about their mental health should talk to a qualified clinician. Check how outcomes were measured, who took part and how long they were followed.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genetic architecture of postpartum psychosis: from common to rare genetic variation | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 4 | cc by PMID 42135523 · DOI · PMC13569460 |
| Large Language Models for Individualized Psychoeducational Tools for Psychosis: A Cross-Sectional Study | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 4 | cc by PMID 42530475 · DOI · PMC13422232 |
| What is being measured by formal thought disorder scales? An item-level content analysis | 2026 | Systematic review Design not recorded in structured metadata | 3 | cc by PMID 41969055 · DOI · PMC13079215 |
Genetic architecture of postpartum psychosis: from common to rare genetic variation [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Postpartum psychosis is a severe psychiatric condition marked by the abrupt onset of psychosis, mania, or psychotic depression following childbirth.
- Closing excerpt
- These findings reveal unique genetic contributions and shared pathways, providing a foundation for understanding pathophysiology and advancing therapeutic strategies.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (181 words)
Postpartum psychosis is a severe psychiatric condition marked by the abrupt onset of psychosis, mania, or psychotic depression following childbirth. Despite evidence for a strong genetic basis, the roles of common and rare genetic variation remain poorly understood. Leveraging data from Swedish national registers and genomic data from the All of Us Research Program, we estimated family-based heritability at 55% and whole-genome sequencing-based heritability at 46%. Rare coding variant analysis identified HMGCR as a gene in which rare damaging variants confer risk for postpartum psychosis (FDR < 0.05). Analyses of 240,009 participants from the All of Us Research Program and 58,990 participants from the Mount Sinai BioMe Biobank identified significant associations linking deleterious rare variants in HMGCR to vascular dementia and mental disorder, not otherwise specified, supporting the gene's broader psychiatric relevance. Additionally, among the top 200 genes ranked by association statistics, 17% of bipolar disorder, 21% of schizophrenia, and 16-25% of multiple autoimmune disorders exhibit a possible association with postpartum psychosis. These findings reveal unique genetic contributions and shared pathways, providing a foundation for understanding pathophysiology and advancing therapeutic strategies.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42135523 · DOI · PMC13569460
Large Language Models for Individualized Psychoeducational Tools for Psychosis: A Cross-Sectional Study [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the quality of GPT-4-generated responses to commonly asked psychosis-related psychoeducational questions from patients, caregivers and relatives in a first-episode psychosis programme.
- Closing excerpt
- Further research is needed before broader clinical integration can be recommended.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (368 words)
ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the quality of GPT-4-generated responses to commonly asked psychosis-related psychoeducational questions from patients, caregivers and relatives in a first-episode psychosis programme. Evaluation focused on accuracy, clarity, inclusivity, completeness, clinical utility and overall quality.DesignThis cross-sectional study employed a qualitative evaluation design. GPT-4, accessed via the ChatGPT interface, generated responses to 20 psychosis-related psychoeducational questions. These questions were developed through iterative discussion and consensus among clinicians working in a first-episode psychosis treatment programme, informed by commonly encountered questions from patients, caregivers and relatives in clinical practice and are provided in Appendix A. The generated responses were subsequently evaluated for their potential clinical applicability.Primary outcomeChatGPT was presented with 20 psychoeducational questions derived from real-world clinical interactions with patients, caregivers and relatives. Two experts in psychosis independently assessed the responses using a structured six-domain rubric: accuracy (1-3), clarity (1-3), inclusivity (1-3), completeness (0-1), clinical utility (1-5) and overall quality (1-4), where lower scores indicate poorer performance and higher scores indicate stronger performance across domains. Discrepancies in ratings were resolved through discussion and consensus.ResultsUsing a structured evaluation rubric, LLM-generated responses were assessed across accuracy, clarity, inclusivity, completeness, clinical utility and overall quality. Responses were generally coherent, well-organized and readable across all 20 psychoeducational questions. Performance was strongest in accuracy (M ± SD = 2.88 ± 0.22), clarity (2.93 ± 0.18), completeness (0.93 ± 0.18) and clinical utility (4.35 ± 0.52), indicating that responses were largely correct, understandable and clinically relevant. Inclusivity scores were comparatively lower (2.30 ± 0.41). A descriptive linguistic analysis showed that responses were written at a relatively high Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) (mean = 15.59 ± 1.59), indicating increased reading complexity. Although responses addressed core aspects of the questions, some lacked sufficient nuance for complex or individualized clinical scenarios.ConclusionsGPT-4, as an example of a large language model (LLM), may have a limited adjunctive role in supporting psychoeducation for psychosis when used within structured and clinician-guided contexts. Although responses were generally readable and clinically relevant, their complexity and variability in inclusivity highlight potential limitations in accessibility for diverse patient populations, and cautious use is warranted given the ongoing concerns regarding accuracy, safety and real-world implementation. Further research is needed before broader clinical integration can be recommended.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42530475 · DOI · PMC13422232
What is being measured by formal thought disorder scales? An item-level content analysis [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundFormal thought disorder (FTD), characterized by disruptions in the flow and form of thought, is a core feature of psychosis.
- Closing excerpt
- We highlight the need for a consensus-based, standardized measurement of FTD and provide a comprehensive checklist to advance the research and clinical practice.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (246 words)
BackgroundFormal thought disorder (FTD), characterized by disruptions in the flow and form of thought, is a core feature of psychosis. But its measurement is fragmented across numerous rating scales, leading to its continued neglect in both research and clinical practice. To determine if different FTD scales measure the same underlying construct, we need to assess the degree to which the content of commonly used FTD scales overlaps with each other.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review to identify all standardized, clinician-rated scales used to measure FTD in psychotic disorders. From this set, we extracted individual items and derived a consensus list of 56 discrete FTD phenomena. Two independent clinical experts conducted item-to-item mapping for every scale item onto these FTD phenomena. Content overlap between scales was quantified using Jaccard Similarity Index (JSI). We determined the overall coverage achieved via several combinations of FTD scales.ResultsThe 15 scales, comprising 207 items, showed weak content overlap. The mean JSI across all scale pairs was low, and no single phenomenon featured across all scales. While some core FTD phenomena (e.g. 'incoherence', 'poor speech content', 'drifting-off') were represented in many scales, 20% of all identified features were idiosyncratic, appearing in only one scale.ConclusionsExisting FTD rating scales capture a wide but heterogeneous array of symptoms with poor content overlap. This lack of harmonization challenges the comparability of mechanistic and interventional studies. We highlight the need for a consensus-based, standardized measurement of FTD and provide a comprehensive checklist to advance the research and clinical practice.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41969055 · DOI · PMC13079215
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Improving sleep quality leads to better mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials [4]
- Research article Air Pollution (Particulate Matter) Exposure and Associations with Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar, Psychosis and Suicide Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [5]
- Research article Childhood trauma and adult mental disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort studies [6]
- Research article Probability of Transition to Psychosis in Individuals at Clinical High Risk: An Updated Meta-analysis [7]
- Research article Prenatal and perinatal risk and protective factors for psychosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis [8]
- Research article Prevalence of depression in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis [9]
References
- Jung S, Caballero M, Kępińska A, Smout S, Munk-Olsen T, Robakis TK, et al.. Genetic architecture of postpartum psychosis: from common to rare genetic variation. . 2026. PMID 42135523 · DOI · PMC13569460
- Yilanli M, McKay I, Jackson DI, Sezgin E. Large Language Models for Individualized Psychoeducational Tools for Psychosis: A Cross-Sectional Study. . 2026. PMID 42530475 · DOI · PMC13422232
- Sreeraj VS, Voppel A, Venkatasubramanian G, Palaniyappan L. What is being measured by formal thought disorder scales? An item-level content analysis. . 2026. PMID 41969055 · DOI · PMC13079215
- Scott AJ, Webb TL, Martyn-St James M, Rowse G, Weich S. Improving sleep quality leads to better mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Sleep Med Rev. 2021. PMID 34607184 · DOI · PMC8651630
- Braithwaite I, Zhang S, Kirkbride JB, Osborn DPJ, Hayes JF. Air Pollution (Particulate Matter) Exposure and Associations with Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar, Psychosis and Suicide Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Environ Health Perspect. 2019. PMID 31850801 · DOI · PMC6957283
- McKay MT, Cannon M, Chambers D, Conroy RM, Coughlan H, Dodd P, et al.. Childhood trauma and adult mental disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort studies. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2021. PMID 33315268 · DOI
- Salazar de Pablo G, Radua J, Pereira J, Bonoldi I, Arienti V, Besana F, et al.. Probability of Transition to Psychosis in Individuals at Clinical High Risk: An Updated Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry. 2021. PMID 34259821 · DOI · PMC8281006
- Davies C, Segre G, Estradé A, Radua J, De Micheli A, Provenzani U, et al.. Prenatal and perinatal risk and protective factors for psychosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020. PMID 32220288 · DOI
- Hu T, Zhao X, Wu M, Li Z, Luo L, Yang C, et al.. Prevalence of depression in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res. 2022. PMID 35316691 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.