CHR differ from psychosis in the following ways
- Unusual and extraordinary experiences occur on a spectrum ranging from typical experiences at one end to psychosis at the other.
- Psychosis is defined by experiencing delusions and hallucinations. Individuals experiencing psychosis are convinced these experiences are real and find them extremely upsetting and disrupting to daily life.
- We distinguish psychotic disorders from the CHR period by assessing several factors including the degree of conviction an individual may have about their extraordinary thoughts and experiences, how distressing they are, how much they interfere with daily life, how frequently they occur, how long they last, and how much time they spending thinking about them.
- The Hope Team does not treat individuals with psychosis – we recommend referring young people with first-episode or early psychosis to one of the specialty treatment clinics in the Pittsburgh area, the STEP Clinic (412-246-5599) or ENGAGE (412-694-6142). Many resources on psychosis can be found at HeadsUp-PA.
Here are some clinical examples:
| Symptom Dimension | Clinical High Risk (CHR) | Psychotic Disorder |
|---|---|---|
| Thought Process | “I feel like they might be laughing at me” | “They are talking about me behind my back” |
| Hallucinations | Ticking sounds, buzzing sounds. | “Woman’s voice telling me to cut myself and so I did” |
| Attribution | “Might be my own mind playing tricks on me” | “It’s my parents, they want me to die” |
| Conviction | “Maybe, It’s Possible, Not sure” | “It’s 100% real, and I have no doubts” |
| Distress | “This is more confusing than scary” | “I am terrified” |
| Interference | “It’s bothersome, but I can still get some things done” | “I can’t get anything done” |