DELUSIONAL DISORDER
Definition:
de·lu·sion
The act or process of deluding.
The state of being deluded.
A false belief or opinion: labored under the delusion that success was at hand.
Psychiatry. A false belief strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence,
especially as a symptom of mental illness: delusions of persecution.
Delusional disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis denoting a psychotic mental
illness that involves holding one or more non-bizarre delusions in the absence
of any other significant psychopathology (signs or symptoms of mental
illness). In particular a person with delusional disorder has never met any
other criteria for schizophrenia and does not have any marked hallucinations,
although tactile (touch) or olfactory (smell) hallucinations may be present if
they are related to the theme of the delusion.
A person with delusional disorder can be quite functional and does not tend to
show any odd or bizarre behaviour except as a direct result of the delusional
belief.
It is worth noting that the term paranoia was previously used in psychiatry to
denote what is now called 'delusional disorder'. The modern psychiatric use of
the word paranoia is subtly different but now rarely refers to this specific
diagnosis.
Delusional disorder may typically be one of the following types:
Erotomanic: delusion that another person, usually of higher status, is in love
with the individual.
Grandiose Type: delusion of inflated worth, power, knowledge, identity, or
special relationship to a deity or famous person
Jealous Type: delusion that the individual's sexual partner is unfaithful.
Persecutory Type: delusion that the person (or someone to whom the person
is close) is being malevolently treated in some way.
Somatic Type: delusions that the person has some physical defect or general
medical condition.
Diagnosis
A diagnosis of 'mixed type' or 'unspecified type' may also be given if the
delusions fall into several or none of these categories.
This disorder is characterized by the presence of non-bizarre delusions which
have persisted for at least one month. Non-bizarre delusions typically are
beliefs of something occurring in a person's life which is not out of the realm of
possibility. For example, the person may believe their significant other is
cheating on them, that someone close to them is about to die, a friend is really
a government agent, etc. All of these situations could be true or possible, but
the person suffering from this disorder knows them not to be (e.g., through
fact-checking, third-person confirmation, etc.).
People who have this disorder generally don't experience a marked
impairment in their daily functioning in a social, occupational or other
important setting. Outward behavior is not noticeably bizarre or objectively
characterized as out-of-the-ordinary.
The delusions can not be better accounted for by another disorder, such as
schizophrenia, which is also characterized by delusions (which are bizarre).
The delusions also cannot be better accounted for by a mood disorder, if the
mood disturbances have been relatively brief.
Specific Diagnostic Criteria
Nonbizarre delusions (i.e., involving situations that occur in real life, such as
being followed, poisoned, infected, loved at a distance, or deceived by spouse
or lover, or having a disease) of at least 1 month's duration.
Criterion A for Schizophrenia has never been met. Note: Tactile and olfactory
hallucinations may be present in Delusional Disorder if they are related to the
delusional theme.
Criterion A of Schizophrenia requires two (or more) of the following, each
present for a significant portion of time during a 1-month period (or less if
successfully treated):
delusions
hallucinations
disorganized speech (e.g., frequent derailment or incoherence)
grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior
negative symptoms, i.e., affective flattening, alogia, or avolition
Note: Criteria A of Schizophrenia requires only one symptom if delusions
are bizarre or hallucinations consist of a voice keeping up a running
commentary on the person's behavior or thoughts, or two or more voices
conversing with each other.
Apart from the impact of the delusion(s) or its ramifications, functioning is not
markedly impaired and behavior is not obviously odd or bizarre.
If mood episodes have occurred concurrently with delusions, their total
duration has been brief relative to the duration of the delusional periods.
The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance
(e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.
Definition:
de·lu·sion
The act or process of deluding.
The state of being deluded.
A false belief or opinion: labored under the delusion that success was at hand.
Psychiatry. A false belief strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence,
especially as a symptom of mental illness: delusions of persecution.
Delusional disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis denoting a psychotic mental
illness that involves holding one or more non-bizarre delusions in the absence
of any other significant psychopathology (signs or symptoms of mental
illness). In particular a person with delusional disorder has never met any
other criteria for schizophrenia and does not have any marked hallucinations,
although tactile (touch) or olfactory (smell) hallucinations may be present if
they are related to the theme of the delusion.
A person with delusional disorder can be quite functional and does not tend to
show any odd or bizarre behaviour except as a direct result of the delusional
belief.
It is worth noting that the term paranoia was previously used in psychiatry to
denote what is now called 'delusional disorder'. The modern psychiatric use of
the word paranoia is subtly different but now rarely refers to this specific
diagnosis.
Delusional disorder may typically be one of the following types:
Erotomanic: delusion that another person, usually of higher status, is in love
with the individual.
Grandiose Type: delusion of inflated worth, power, knowledge, identity, or
special relationship to a deity or famous person
Jealous Type: delusion that the individual's sexual partner is unfaithful.
Persecutory Type: delusion that the person (or someone to whom the person
is close) is being malevolently treated in some way.
Somatic Type: delusions that the person has some physical defect or general
medical condition.
Diagnosis
A diagnosis of 'mixed type' or 'unspecified type' may also be given if the
delusions fall into several or none of these categories.
This disorder is characterized by the presence of non-bizarre delusions which
have persisted for at least one month. Non-bizarre delusions typically are
beliefs of something occurring in a person's life which is not out of the realm of
possibility. For example, the person may believe their significant other is
cheating on them, that someone close to them is about to die, a friend is really
a government agent, etc. All of these situations could be true or possible, but
the person suffering from this disorder knows them not to be (e.g., through
fact-checking, third-person confirmation, etc.).
People who have this disorder generally don't experience a marked
impairment in their daily functioning in a social, occupational or other
important setting. Outward behavior is not noticeably bizarre or objectively
characterized as out-of-the-ordinary.
The delusions can not be better accounted for by another disorder, such as
schizophrenia, which is also characterized by delusions (which are bizarre).
The delusions also cannot be better accounted for by a mood disorder, if the
mood disturbances have been relatively brief.
Specific Diagnostic Criteria
Nonbizarre delusions (i.e., involving situations that occur in real life, such as
being followed, poisoned, infected, loved at a distance, or deceived by spouse
or lover, or having a disease) of at least 1 month's duration.
Criterion A for Schizophrenia has never been met. Note: Tactile and olfactory
hallucinations may be present in Delusional Disorder if they are related to the
delusional theme.
Criterion A of Schizophrenia requires two (or more) of the following, each
present for a significant portion of time during a 1-month period (or less if
successfully treated):
delusions
hallucinations
disorganized speech (e.g., frequent derailment or incoherence)
grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior
negative symptoms, i.e., affective flattening, alogia, or avolition
Note: Criteria A of Schizophrenia requires only one symptom if delusions
are bizarre or hallucinations consist of a voice keeping up a running
commentary on the person's behavior or thoughts, or two or more voices
conversing with each other.
Apart from the impact of the delusion(s) or its ramifications, functioning is not
markedly impaired and behavior is not obviously odd or bizarre.
If mood episodes have occurred concurrently with delusions, their total
duration has been brief relative to the duration of the delusional periods.
The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance
(e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.
| The information provided on these pages are intended as a educational public service. New studies often change our understanding of how to diagnose and treat these illnesses and direct contact with the appropriate, licensed mental health professional prior to treatment is always recommended. |
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| DELUSIONAL DISORDER |
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