This article is the result of a master's degree thesis which tried to characterize psychotic crisis by the account of patients and family members in their first crisis. The study was based on recent literature, surveys regarding early intervention in psychosis (McGorry & Edwards, 2002), studies about crisis (DiTomasso & Kovnat, 1995; Miermont e cols., 1994; Tavares, 2004) and about family (Addington et al., 2005). The data obtained was processed through Content Analysis (Bardin, 1988; Franco, 2003). It was noted that psychotic crisis were manifested according to literature states (CID-10, 1993; McGorry & Edwards, 2002). Anxiety, social isolation, fear and suspicion were the identified prodroms, and hallucination and delirium, the related symptoms.
psychotic crisis; prodroms; early intervention; family