Which statement best distinguishes acute psychosis from a mood disorder with psychotic features?

• A. Acute psychosis involves primary psychotic symptoms without prominent mood symptoms
• B. Acute psychosis always mood symptoms
• C. Mood disorder with psych features never mood symptoms
• D. They are the same

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that acute psychosis presents with psychotic symptoms as the dominant feature, with little or no mood disturbance driving the picture. In acute psychosis, delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking occur independently of a major mood episode. By contrast, a mood disorder with psychotic features centers on mood symptoms (depression or mania) and the psychotic symptoms occur in the context of that mood episode, often being mood-congruent and tied to the mood state.

So, the best statement is that acute psychosis involves primary psychotic symptoms without prominent mood symptoms. The other ideas don’t fit: mood symptoms are not required in acute psychosis, mood disorders with psychotic features do involve mood symptoms, and the two conditions are not the same.