Delusions and Hallucinations

Primer

Psychotic symptoms, in particular, auditory hallucinations and delusions, can sometimes occur in normal, non-clinical populations.[1]

Auditory Hallucinations

Command auditory hallucinations are frequently considered a concerning feature of psychosis that requires inpatient hospitalization. However, in regards to suicide risk, the presence of command hallucinations is not an independent predictor of suicide attempts.[2] Only individuals who were previously predisposed to suicide attempts have a higher risk of completed suicide.[3]

Monosymptomatic auditory hallucinations, especially with recent substance use, can sometimes resolve without antipsychotic treatment.[4]

Visual Hallucinations

Visual Perceptual Abnormalities: Hallucinations and Illusions (Seminars in Neurology, 2000)

Resources

Controversies

Research
Articles

References

1) Verdoux, H., & van Os, J. (2002). Psychotic symptoms in non-clinical populations and the continuum of psychosis. Schizophrenia research, 54(1), 59-65.
2) Harkavy-Friedman, J. M., Kimhy, D., Nelson, E. A., Venarde, D. F., Malaspina, D., & Mann, J. J. (2003). Suicide attempts in schizophrenia: the role of command auditory hallucinations for suicide. J Clin Psychiatry, 64(8), 871-874.
3) Pompili, M., Amador, X. F., Girardi, P., Harkavy-Friedman, J., Harrow, M., Kaplan, K., ... & Montross, L. P. (2007). Suicide risk in schizophrenia: learning from the past to change the future. Annals of general psychiatry, 6(1), 10.
4) Pierre, J. M. (2010). Nonantipsychotic therapy for monosymptomatic auditory hallucinations. Biological psychiatry, 68(7), e33-e34.