Brief psychotic disorder is characterized by symptoms lasting less than what duration?

Brief psychotic disorder is characterized by symptoms lasting less than what duration?

• A. 24 hours
• B. 3 days
• C. 1 week
• D. 1 month

Answer: (C)

Brief psychotic disorder is defined by a sudden onset of psychotic symptoms that last at least one day but do not persist for more than one month, after which full return to baseline functioning is expected. The question asks for the duration cap that defines this condition—how long the symptoms can last and still be categorized as brief. Among the options, one week sits squarely within the allowed window: it is longer than a single day, yet clearly shorter than a month. This makes it a clear example of the duration characteristic of brief psychotic disorder. The other options either represent a very short span (such as a full day) or extend beyond the upper limit (one month), which would move away from the brief category. The key idea is that the symptoms are not allowed to last longer than a month, and one week neatly demonstrates a duration that stays within that bound.

Brief psychotic disorder is defined by a sudden onset of psychotic symptoms that last at least one day but do not persist for more than one month, after which full return to baseline functioning is expected. The question asks for the duration cap that defines this condition—how long the symptoms can last and still be categorized as brief. Among the options, one week sits squarely within the allowed window: it is longer than a single day, yet clearly shorter than a month. This makes it a clear example of the duration characteristic of brief psychotic disorder. The other options either represent a very short span (such as a full day) or extend beyond the upper limit (one month), which would move away from the brief category. The key idea is that the symptoms are not allowed to last longer than a month, and one week neatly demonstrates a duration that stays within that bound.