Brief psychotic disorder may appear in adolescence or early adulthood, and onset can oc-
cur across the lifespan, with the average age at onset being the mid 30s. By definition, a
diagnosis of brief psychotic disorder requir es a full remission of all symptoms and an
eventual full return to the premorbid level of functioning within 1 mont h of the onset of the
disturbance. In some individuals, the duration of psychotic symptoms may be quite brief
(e.g., a few days).
Risk and Prognostic Factors 
Temperamental.  Preexisting personality disorders an d traits (e.g., schizotypal person-
ality disorder; borderline personality disorder; or traits in the psychoticism domain, such
as perceptual dysregulation, and the negative affectivity domain, such as suspiciousness)
may predispose the individual to the development of the disorder.
Culture-Related Diagnostic Issues
It is important to distinguish symptoms of br ief psychotic disorder from culturally sanc-
tioned response patterns. For example, in so me religious ceremonies, an individual may
report hearing voices, but these do not genera lly persist and are not perceived as abnormal
by most members of the indivi dual’s community. In addition , cultural and religious back-
ground must be taken into account when considering whether be liefs are delusional. 
Functional Consequences of  Brief Psychotic Disorder
Despite high rates of relapse, for most indivi duals, outcome is excellent in terms of social
functioning and symptomatology.