While conducting your research, you may have come across the terms psychosis and schizophrenia used together. However, while these terms are similar, they refer to two different conditions. In turn, this makes it more difficult to understand the differences between psychosis vs schizophrenia.

In many instances, psychosis is a symptom of schizophrenia in which a person loses touch with reality. ¹ Still, people can experience psychosis without having schizophrenia.

What is Psychosis?

When someone experiences psychosis, they undergo a group of symptoms characterized by a loss of touch with reality. The two most notable symptoms include:

• Hallucinations – Hearing, seeing, or feeling things that aren’t actually there. For example, a person may hear a voice that isn’t outside their mind. ²

• Delusions – Intense beliefs that are false in nature. For example, a person may believe others are out to harm them without evidence to suggest this. ³

Beyond these symptoms, a psychotic episode can also lead to:

• Acting suspicious and uneasy
• Changes in performance at school or work
• Decline in personal hygiene
• Difficulty concentrating
• Problems distinguishing between fantasy and reality
• Withdrawal from those around them

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), nearly 100,000 new cases of psychosis occur each year in the United States. While causes vary from person to person, they can be ascribed to the following conditions:

• Anxiety
• Alzheimer’s disease (or dementia)
• Bipolar Disorder
• Brain tumors
• Depression
• Epilepsy
• HIV/AIDS
• Huntington’s disease
• Lupus
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Schizophrenia
• Sleep deprivation
• Syphilis
• Substance use disorder

Psychosis can also be caused by certain types of drugs, such as corticosteroids (used for Parkinson’s disease) and some types of antibiotics. ⁴

What is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is one of several types of psychotic disorders that affects 0.25 to 0.64% of the population. ⁵ While the condition is defined by a variety of symptoms, these are categorized into the following three groupings:

• Psychotic Symptoms – Including symptoms of psychosis, such as hallucinations and delusions.

• Negative Symptoms – Includes a variety of less prevalent symptoms, such as low motivation, reduced emotions, and a decline in feelings of happiness.

• Cognitive Symptoms – Includes symptoms that make certain aspects of life difficult, such as concentration, memory, and attention.

Since schizophrenia is such a complex condition, experts aren’t sure of its exact cause. Still, it’s believed that there are problems with genetics, environment, and brain functionality at play. ⁶

What’s the Difference Between Psychosis vs Schizophrenia?

The key difference between psychosis vs schizophrenia is simple:

• Psychosis is a selection of symptoms that can be caused by a variety of mental or medical conditions.

• Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder in which people may experience psychosis. However, the condition is not solely defined by periods of psychosis.

If someone with schizophrenia experiences a psychotic episode, they’ll likely show signs of hallucinations and delusions. As mentioned, these are positive symptoms of the condition. For this reason, people with schizophrenia are often prescribed the same medication as those experiencing psychosis: an antipsychotic. ⁷

Still, psychosis alone isn’t enough to diagnose someone with schizophrenia. Such a diagnosis also requires signs of negative and cognitive symptoms.

As a result, people can experience psychosis without having schizophrenia (or another mental health condition). For example, someone may develop psychosis due to the intense symptoms of dementia or Parkinson’s disease.

How to Treat Psychosis

If you struggle with psychosis, the treatment method is very similar to that of schizophrenia. The most effective measures include:

• Medication – An antipsychotic medication can help reduce psychosis symptoms. ⁸

• Therapy – The most common form of psychotherapy for psychosis is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This allows you to identify negative thought patterns and readjust them to better your thought processes. ⁹

• Family Support – Having a support system is critical when experiencing psychosis. This allows you to have a better sense of what is real and what isn’t. ¹⁰

• Social Support – You may also benefit from social skills training or other forms of support that allow you to get back into the routine of everyday life.

If you struggle with psychosis due to an underlying condition, it’s just as critical to ensure you also receive treatment for that condition.

Final Word

While psychosis and schizophrenia are relatable, they are separate disorders and should be treated as such. If someone is experiencing symptoms of psychosis, that doesn’t indefinitely mean they have schizophrenia. Vice versa, if someone has schizophrenia, they won’t always be plagued with psychotic episodes.

As a result, treating both conditions can be tricky. Still, it’s important to identify these conditions (and subsequently treat them) as soon as possible. The longer these conditions go untreated, the better chance they have of impacting your quality of life.

References

¹ Calabrese J, Al Khalili Y. Psychosis. 2023 May 1. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan–. PMID: 31536188.

² Chaudhury S. Hallucinations: Clinical aspects and management. Ind Psychiatry J. 2010 Jan;19(1):5-12. doi: 10.4103/0972-6748.77625. PMID: 21694785; PMCID: PMC3105559.

³ Kiran C, Chaudhury S. Understanding delusions. Ind Psychiatry J. 2009 Jan;18(1):3-18. doi: 10.4103/0972-6748.57851. PMID: 21234155; PMCID: PMC3016695.

⁴ Niebrzydowska A, Grabowski J. Medication-induced Psychotic Disorder. A Review of Selected Drugs Side Effects. Psychiatr Danub. 2022 Spring;34(1):11-18. doi: 10.24869/psyd.2022.11. PMID: 35467605.

⁵ Hany M, Rehman B, Rizvi A, Chapman J. Schizophrenia. 2024 Feb 23. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan–. PMID: 30969686.

⁶ Wahbeh MH, Avramopoulos D. Gene-Environment Interactions in Schizophrenia: A Literature Review. Genes (Basel). 2021 Nov 23;12(12):1850. doi: 10.3390/genes12121850. PMID: 34946799; PMCID: PMC8702084.

⁷ Patel KR, Cherian J, Gohil K, Atkinson D. Schizophrenia: overview and treatment options. P T. 2014 Sep;39(9):638-45. PMID: 25210417; PMCID: PMC4159061.

⁸ Leo RJ, Regno PD. Atypical Antipsychotic Use in the Treatment of Psychosis in Primary Care. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2000 Dec;2(6):194-204. doi: 10.4088/pcc.v02n0601. PMID: 15014629; PMCID: PMC181141.

⁹ Health Quality Ontario. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Psychosis: A Health Technology Assessment. Ont Health Technol Assess Ser. 2018 Oct 24;18(5):1-141. PMID: 30443277; PMCID: PMC6235075.

¹⁰ Widiyawati W, Yusuf A, Devy SR, Widayanti DM. Family support and adaptation mechanisms of adults outpatients with schizophrenia. J Public Health Res. 2020 Jul 3;9(2):1848. doi: 10.4081/jphr.2020.1848. PMID: 32728587; PMCID: PMC7376456.