This is the first comprehensive overview of the clinical features, biology, course and long-term outcome of brief and acute psychoses.Brief and acute psychotic disorders with a short duration and a generally good prognosis have long intrigued psychiatrists. Although they are included in internationally accepted diagnostic systems, our understanding of these disorders remains at a minimal level. This book is the first comprehensive overview of their clinical features, biology, course and long-term effects. The authors also address their nosological status and impact on our understanding of the continuum of psychotic and affective disorders.Brief and acute psychotic disorders with a short duration and a generally good prognosis have long intrigued psychiatrists. Although they are included in internationally accepted diagnostic systems, our understanding of these disorders remains at a minimal level. This book is the first comprehensive overview of their clinical features, biology, course and long-term effects. The authors also address their nosological status and impact on our understanding of the continuum of psychotic and affective disorders.Acute psychotic disorders with a short duration and a generally good prognosis have long intrigued psychiatrists. Although they are included in internationally accepted diagnostic systems, our understanding of these disorders remains at a minimal level. This book is the first comprehensive overview of their clinical features, biology, course and long-term effects. The authors also address their nosological status and impact on our understanding of the continuum of psychotic and affective disorders.Part I. History and Concepts: 1. Psychiatric sculptors and psychiatric sculptures: the unformed clay and Kraepelin's vision; 2. Concepts and synonym; Part II. Studies and Findings: 3. Studies on brief and acute psychoses; 4. Frequency and sociobiographic characteristics of acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD) and brief psychol³Á