Publication date: Jul 08, 2025
Patients may present with subclinical psychotic features not meeting established diagnostic thresholds for psychosis. Here, we describe our experience of using Haloperidol as a trial of treatment to clarify the diagnostic uncertainty in a patient presenting with major depressive disorder with subclinical psychotic features. Our case highlights the importance of having a high index of suspicion for subclinical psychosis in patients presenting with treatment-resistant affective symptoms despite the use of multiple classes of antidepressant and/or anti-anxiety medications, as well as the need to undertake comprehensive assessments to clarify the differential diagnosis. Our experience may support trialling treatment with antipsychotics if a diagnosis of subclinical psychotic phenomena is being considered.
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| drug | DRUGBANK | Haloperidol |
| disease | MESH | major depressive disorder |
| disease | MESH | psychosis |
| disease | MESH | uncertainty |
| disease | MESH | affective symptoms |
| disease | MESH | anxiety |
| disease | MESH | schizophrenia |