Delusional disorders Flashcards
What is a delusion?
A false, unshakeable belief that is held against evidence to the contrary and which is not held by others of the same culture or community
What would make you consider a diagnosis of a delusional disorder over a diagnosis of schizophrenia?
if the delusion was the only or the predominate symptom. Basically if the other symptoms of schizophrenia (e.g. thought disorder, hallucinations) were lacking
Should’ve lasted for longer than 3 months
What are some types of delusion?
Persecutory Nihilistic Grandiose Of reference Of passivity or control Guilt Jealousy Bizarre Hypochondriacal
What is the difference between a delusion and an over-valued idea?
Over-valued ideas are often more based in reality (e.g. they might have had an argument with someone, extrapolated the meaning behind it and emphasises its importance) while delusions are more bizarre (have special powers)
Also importantly delusions are often UNSHAKEABLE in nature - you won’t be able to challenge their ideas
What is Othello Syndrome?
Delusional disorder of jealousy - being convinced or fixated on the concept of your partner having an affair
What is DeClerambault’s Syndrome?
it is a form of erotomania
The delusional belief that someone (often a famous figure) is in love with them
What is Cotard’s syndrome?
Nihilistic delusions.
The delusional belief that they or a part of their body is dead
What is Capgras syndrome?
A syndrome of delusional misidentification
The delusional belief that a friend or loved one has been replaced by an identical double (delusions of outside agency)
What is Ekbom’s syndrome?
Delusional belief of infestation - that oneself or one’s environment is infested with parasites or insects
What is Fregoli’s syndrome?
Delusional belief that multiple people are the same person who keeps changing disguise
What is Folie-a-deux?
This is an induced delusional disorder where delusions develop in one party and this causes them to develop in a second (usually among families or partners and often the first has some degree of authority or dominance over the second e.g. husband and wife or parent and child)
- When you remove the second person from the first then their delusions will often recover very quickly.
What is Charles-Bonnet-Syndrome?
A disorder of VISUAL HALLUCINATION (not delusions)
- These are visual hallucinations associated with eye disease particularly peripheral visual field loss
Common things to hallucinate: faces, animals, children
- Consciousness is clear
- More common in the elderly and in social isolation
