title: The duration criteria of delusional disorder in modern classification.
abstract: This article briefly reviews the duration criteria for delusional disorder in current diagnostic systems. Furthermore, a sample of 72 first-admitted patients with delusional disorder, personally re-examined after a mean of 10 and 27 years, has been analysed as to duration of delusional symptoms. One third of the sample displayed delusions for less than 6 months at admission. During the observation period one half of these patients (one sixth of the total sample), displayed delusional symptoms for less than 6 months, recovered fully, and functioned excellently at follow-up, while patients with a total duration of delusions for more than 6 months functioned worse. This report adds further support to setting up a dividing line of 6 months for the separation of acute from persistent delusional disorder.
authors.affiliation: University of Oslo, Gaustad Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Opjordsmoen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003702:Delusions / Q000145:classification / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013997:Time Factors