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Review
. 2022 May 19;12(5):683-692.
doi: 10.5498/wjp.v12.i5.683.

Differences between delusional disorder and schizophrenia: A mini narrative review

Alexandre González-Rodríguez  1 , Mary V Seeman  2
Affiliations
Review

Differences between delusional disorder and schizophrenia: A mini narrative review

Alexandre González-Rodríguez et al. World J Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Psychotic syndromes are divided into affective and non-affective forms. Even among the non-affective forms, substantial differences exist. The aim of this relatively brief review is to synthesize what is known about the differences between two non-affective psychoses, schizophrenia and delusional disorder (DD), with respect to clinical, epidemiological, sociodemographic, and treatment response characteristics. A PubMed literature search revealed the following: in schizophrenia, hallucinations, negative symptoms and cognitive symptoms are prominent. They are rare in DD. Compared to schizophrenia patients, individuals with DD maintain relatively good function, and their delusions are believable; many are beliefs that are widely held in the general population. Treatments are generally similar in these two forms of psychosis, with the exception that antidepressants are used more frequently in DD and, for acute treatment, effective antipsychotic doses are lower in DD than in schizophrenia. It is with the hope that the contrasts between these two conditions will aid in the provision of safe and effective treatment for both that this review has been conducted.

Keywords: Delusional disorder; Epidemiology; Non-affective psychosis; Schizophrenia; Symptoms; Treatment response.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: Neither author has received fees for serving as a speaker, consultant or advisory board member for any organization related to this review. Neither author has received research funding from any one to conduct this review. Neither author owns stocks or shares in any organization remotely connected with this review. Neither author owns patents related to this review. Neither author reports any conflicts of interest.

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