A. L. Mishara

Klaus Conrad (1905-1961): delusional mood, psychosis, and beginning schizophrenia.

Schizophr Bull December 4, 2009 A. L. Mishara

Klaus Conrad, a German neurologist and psychiatrist who lived from 1905 to 1961, made influential contributions to the understanding of early psychosis. He is best known for describing the "delusional mood" (Wahnstimmung), a prodromal state preceding full-blown psychosis, and for his work on the early stages of schizophrenia. Conrad's phenomenological approach emphasized the subjective experience of patients during the onset of delusional thinking, framing psychosis as a process of altered perception and meaning-making. His concepts remain relevant in contemporary psychiatry for identifying and intervening in the early phases of schizophrenia.