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Psychiatry15 papers

Acute psychosis

Last edited: 4/10/2026

Overview

Acute psychosis is a sudden onset of psychotic symptoms, including hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, and behavioral disturbances. It can be a symptom of various psychiatric and medical conditions.

Diagnosis

Management

  • Second-generation long-acting injectable antipsychotics (SGA-LAIs) such as olanzapine, aripiprazole, risperidone, and paliperidone reduced overall symptoms of schizophrenia more than placebo in acutely ill patients 1.
  • The efficacy of SGA-LAIs compared to their oral formulations in acute schizophrenia was only assessed in one study comparing aripiprazole 1.
  • The side-effect profiles of LAIs corresponded to the known patterns of their oral formulations 1.
  • Special Populations

    Key Recommendations

  • Second-generation long-acting injectable antipsychotics are effective in reducing overall symptoms of schizophrenia in acutely ill patients 1. (Evidence: Strong)
  • The side-effect profiles of long-acting injectable antipsychotics are consistent with their oral counterparts 1. (Evidence: Strong)
  • References

    1 Wang D, Schneider-Thoma J, Siafis S, Burschinski A, Dong S, Wu H et al.. Long-Acting Injectable Second-Generation Antipsychotics vs Placebo and Their Oral Formulations in Acute Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized-Controlled-Trials. Schizophrenia bulletin 2024. link

    Original source

    1. [1]

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