Which specifier describes psychotic features that align with mood state?

• A. With mood-incongruent psychotic features
• B. With catatonia
• C. With mood-congruent psychotic features
• D. With peripartum onset

Answer: (C)

Psychotic features that align with the mood state are described as mood-congruent. This means the content of the delusions or hallucinations matches the current mood: for example, depressive episodes feature beliefs of guilt, worthlessness, or punishment, while manic or hypomanic episodes feature grandiosity or inflated self-importance. This alignment helps indicate the psychosis is tied to the mood episode rather than being a separate psychotic disorder.

Other specifiers don’t fit this idea: catatonia refers to motor and behavioral features, not the content of psychosis; mood-incongruent psychotic features are psychotic content that does not fit the mood; and peripartum onset denotes timing around childbirth, not the nature of the psychotic content.