Presentation of acute psychosis in an Egyptian sample: a transcultural comparison

The symptomatological and diagnostic differentiations and outcome of acute psychosis were studied in 50 Egyptian patients using the Schedule of Clinical Assessment of Acute Psychotic States (SCAAPS). The prevailing symptoms were delusions, worry, irritability, mood changes, and disturbed behavior. Sixty-four percent of the patients were symptom-free at 1-year follow-up assessment. Various factors that affect clinical and social outcome were discussed. The problem of diagnostic terms was also studied comparing SCAAPS terms with those of DSM-III-R and ICD-10. The most frequent diagnosis was psychogenic psychosis or brief reactive psychosis corresponding to the previously mentioned first and second systems, respectively. The inclusion of acute and transient polymorphic psychotic disorders with or without stress in ICD-10 will encompass those clinical syndromes in different cultures. A comparative study with a matched Indian sample was also conducted, the results of which are discussed in detail.