Brief Psychotic Disorder (BPD) is a disease characterized by sudden onset of psychotic symptoms. This disturbance lasts at least 1 day but less than 1 month, and the subject fully recovered premorbid level. In the literature there are few data on its prevalence, established between 4-10% of all psychotic disorders. Although a female preponderance has been postuled, gender differences have not been well studied. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to examined sex differences in brief psychotic disorder.

We conducted a retrospective study to estimate the gender differences in an inpatient psychiatric sample. This sample (n=39) included acute patients admitted in a psychiatry ward with diagnosis of brief psychotic disorder. The clinical and socio-demographic characteristics were analysed for males and females separately.

Of a total of 39 patients with BPD, 74.4% were women (n = 29) and 25.6% male (n = 10). Mean age at diagnosis was 33 +/- 8.65 years. Of the clinical variables studied, none was significantly different between male and female. Men had a higher consumption of alcohol (p< 0’05); there were no differences in axis II. Males had more psychiatric family history (70% vs 48.3%), although not statistically significant. Women had more frequent family history of mood disorders and men of psychotic disorders (p < 0.05).

We found higher prevalence of BPD in women. Males had more family history (mostly psychotic) and more toxic dependence. Further studies are needed with larger samples to determine the existence of sex differences.