Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Mar 29:12:582392.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.582392. eCollection 2021.

Psychotic-Like Experiences: A Challenge in Definition and Assessment

Barbara Hinterbuchinger  1 , Nilufar Mossaheb  1
Affiliations
Review

Psychotic-Like Experiences: A Challenge in Definition and Assessment

Barbara Hinterbuchinger et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Assuming a continuum between psychotic experiences and psychotic symptoms aligned between healthy individuals and patients with non-psychotic and psychotic disorders, recent research has focused on subclinical psychotic experiences. The wide variety of definitions, assessment tools, and concepts of psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) might contribute to the mixed findings concerning prevalence and persistence rates and clinical impact. In this narrative review, we address the panoply of terminology, definitions, and assessment tools of PLEs and associated concerns with this multitude. Moreover, the ambiguous results of previous studies regarding the clinical relevance of PLEs are described. In conclusion, we address clinical implications and highly suggest conceptual clarity and consensus concerning the terminology and definition of PLEs. The development of an agreed upon use of a "gold standard" assessment tool seems essential for more comparable findings in future research.

Keywords: psychosis continuum; psychosis phenotype; psychotic disorder; psychotic-like experiences; subclinical psychosis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

References

    1. Kraepelin E. Manic depressive insanity and paranoia. J Nerv Ment Dis. (1921) 53:350. 10.1097/00005053-192104000-00057 - DOI
    1. Van Os J, Hanssen M, Bijl RV, Ravelli A. Strauss (1969) revisited: a psychosis continuum in the general population? Schizophr Res. (2000) 45:11–20. 10.1016/S0920-9964(99)00224-8 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Verdoux H, van Os J. Psychotic symptoms in non-clinical populations and the continuum of psychosis. Schizophr Res. (2002) 54:59–65. 10.1016/S0920-9964(01)00352-8 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hanssen M, Peeters F, Krabbendam L, Radstake S, Verdoux H, Van Os J. How psychotic are individuals with non-psychotic disorders? Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. (2003) 38:149–54. 10.1007/s00127-003-0622-7 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Fusar-Poli P, Rutigliano G, Stahl D, Davies C, De Micheli A, Ramella-Cravaro V, et al. Long-term validity of the At Risk Mental State (ARMS) for predicting psychotic and non-psychotic mental disorders. Eur Psychiatry. (2017) 42:49–54. 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.11.010 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources