LONG-TERM COURSE OF ACUTE BRIEF PSYCHOSIS IN A DEVELOPING-COUNTRY SETTING

Background This study in North India compared acute brief psychosis de fined by acute onset, brief duration and no early relapse - with other remitting psychoses, over a 12-year course and outcome. Method In a c ohort of incident psychoses, we identified 20 cases of acute brief psy chosis and a comparison group of 43 other remitting psychoses based on two-year follow-up. Seventeen people (85%) in the acute brief psychos is group and 36 (84%) in the comparison group were reassessed at five, seven and 12 years after onset, and were rediagnosed using ICD-10 cri teria. Results At 12-year follow-up,the proportion with remaining sign s of illness was 6% (n= I) for acute brief psychosis versus 50% (n=18) for the comparison group (P=0.002). Using ICD-IO criteria. the majorit y in both groups were diagnosed as having schizophrenia. Conclusions A cute brief psychosis has a distinctive and benign long-term course whe n compared with other remitting psychoses. This finding supports the I CD-10 concept of a separable group of acute and transient psychotic di sorders. To effectively separate this group, however, the ICD-IO crite ria need modification.