1. Introduction
The most puzzling part of psychotic disorders is their etiology. While a variety of hypotheses offer potential explanations, most individuals today accept the theory of psychosis known as the dopamine hypothesis. This hypothesis posit that a biological malfunction – a dysregulation of dopaminergic activity – leads to psychosis. Precisely why this biological malfunction occurs is unknown – though most agree that genetic and environmental influences play a role – and exactly how this dopaminergic dysregulation leads to psychosis is not agreed upon. However, while pragmatically useful, purely biologicaldefinitions and treatments are not entirely satisfactory. No clear objective, biological marker has emerged with which to identify psychosis (DSM-IVTR). In addition, biological treatments of psychosis are somewhat ineffective: the efficacy of antipsychotic drugs to reduce psychotic symptoms and prevent relapse is only 41%. The failure of these treatments leaves open a question: are psychotic disorders more than purely biological?