Toxic psychoses are growing problem in every-day clinical psychiatric practice. Well-known is fact that use of psycho active substances, particularly stimulants and cannabis, is associated with psychotic mental disorders. Differences between psychopathology of schizophrenia and toxic psychotic states are not exactly defined. The aim of the presented study was to compare psychopathology of patients treated with schizophrenia who used psycho active substances (group SCH, n = 80) and nonalcoholic toxic psychosis (group TP, n = 80). Authors in this retrospective study analyzed data from hospitalizations of patients treated at the Psychiatric Clinic of Comenius University and University Hospital in Bratislava in the range of years 2006 - 2010. In both groups has been most commonly used stimulants and cannabis. Group SCH had reported significantly impaired social functioning. In clinical picture in both group s dominated paranoid-hallucinatory syndrome. The presence of core schizophrenic symptoms was statistically significantly higher in group SCH. The results have shown that although psychoactive substances can induce psychotic symptoms, core schizophrenic symptomatology, also affected by drug, remains stable and distinct psychopathological structure. Our results suggest more specific description and classification of toxic psychoses and schizophrenia.

Key words: toxic psychosis – psychopathological symptomatology – core schizophrenic symptoms