Psychiatry confusion pairs
21 Psychiatry topics students commonly mix up on Step 1, each with the fastest separator, a side-by-side comparison, and a free practice question.
- Schizophrenia and schizophreniform disorder vs Brief psychotic disorder and schizoaffective disorderSchizophrenia is 6 months or more; schizophreniform is 1-6 months; brief psychotic is under 1 month; schizoaffective requires mood…
- Bipolar I disorder vs Bipolar II disorder and cyclothymic disorderMania equals bipolar I; hypomania plus major depression equals bipolar II; chronic subthreshold cycling equals cyclothymia.Video
- Major depressive disorder vs Persistent depressive disorder and adjustment disorderMDD is a 2-week full depressive episode; persistent depressive disorder is depressed mood for 2 years; adjustment disorder is…
- Generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder vs OCD, PTSD, and acute stress disorderGAD is 6-month worry; panic disorder is unexpected panic attacks; OCD is obsessions/compulsions; trauma plus duration separates acute…
- Posttraumatic stress disorder vs Acute stress disorder and adjustment disorderTrauma syndrome over 1 month is PTSD; trauma syndrome 3 days to 1 month is acute stress disorder; subthreshold stress reaction is…
- Borderline personality disorder vs Histrionic and narcissistic personality disordersBorderline is instability and abandonment/self-harm; histrionic is attention-seeking theatrical emotion; narcissistic is grandiosity and…
- Schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders vs Avoidant personality disorderSchizoid does not want closeness; schizotypal is odd/eccentric; avoidant wants closeness but avoids rejection.
- Antisocial personality disorder and conduct disorder vs Oppositional defiant disorderRights violations point to conduct disorder or adult antisocial personality; defiant irritability without major rights violations points…
- Anorexia nervosa vs Bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorderLow body weight points to anorexia; binge plus compensation points to bulimia; binge without compensation points to binge-eating disorder.
- Delirium superimposed on dementia vs Progression of dementiaSuperimposed delirium is sudden/fluctuating and attention-impaired; dementia progression is slow, steady, and baseline-consistent.
- Functional neurologic symptom disorder, somatic symptom disorder, and illness anxiety disorder vs Factitious disorder and malingeringNot intentional: conversion/somatic/illness anxiety; intentional without external reward: factitious; intentional with external reward:…
- Body dysmorphic disorder vs Anorexia nervosaBDD is perceived appearance flaw with repetitive behaviors; anorexia is weight/shape fear plus significantly low body weight.
- Tourette disorder vs OCD and other tic disordersTourette is motor plus vocal tics for over 1 year; persistent tic is motor or vocal only; provisional tic is under 1 year; OCD is…
- Autism spectrum disorder vs Rett syndrome and historical pervasive developmental disorder labelsASD is social-communication deficit plus restricted/repetitive behavior; Rett is regression with hand stereotypies and MECP2; Asperger/CDD…
- ADHD vs Conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorderADHD is inattention/hyperactivity across settings; conduct disorder is rights violation; ODD is defiant irritability without severe…
- Postpartum blues and postpartum depression vs Postpartum psychosisBlues are mild and under 2 weeks; postpartum depression is persistent MDD without psychosis; postpartum psychosis has loss of reality…
- Normal grief vs Major depressive disorder with bereavement or stressorNormal grief is wave-like and loss-focused with preserved self-worth; MDD is pervasive with anhedonia, worthlessness, severe impairment,…
- Alcohol withdrawal and delirium tremens vs Wernicke encephalopathyWithdrawal is autonomic hyperexcitable after alcohol cessation; DT is withdrawal plus delirium; Wernicke is thiamine-deficiency confusion…
- Cocaine intoxication vs Amphetamine intoxicationBoth are sympathomimetic; cocaine is shorter with coronary vasospasm and sodium-channel effects, while amphetamines are longer with…Video
- Opioid overdose vs Benzodiazepine overdoseOpioids depress respirations and cause miosis; isolated benzodiazepines sedate with ataxia but usually preserve respirations.
- Acute intoxication vs Withdrawal syndromesIntoxication is drug-on-board effect; withdrawal is rebound after stopping, often opposite the intoxication pattern.