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If you have either schizophrenia or psychosis you may experience symptoms like hallucinations or delusions. But although schizophrenia and psychosis have these symptoms in common, the two conditions are not the same.
“Psychosis refers to a set of symptoms [with multiple potential causes], whereas schizophrenia is a chronic mental health disorder that includes psychosis as one of its core features,” says Karla Molinero, MD , the medical director for Newport Healthcare, a network of mental health care practices in Minnesota.
It’s essential to know the difference in order to get effective treatment, says Harold Hong, MD , a psychiatrist and the medical director of New Waters Recovery, a mental health and substance abuse treatment facility in Raleigh, North Carolina. “While both conditions need attention, the treatment approaches can vary significantly,” says Dr. Hong. “Misdiagnosing someone can lead to ineffective treatments and further complications, so accurate identification by mental health professionals is crucial.”