| Download the amazing global Makindo app: Android | Apple | |
|---|---|
| MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: Educational use only. Not for diagnosis or management. See below for full disclaimer. |
Delusions
Related Subjects: |Psychiatric Emergencies |Depression |Mania |Schizophrenia |Suicide |Acute Psychosis |Delusions |General Anxiety Disorder |Obsessive-Compulsive disorder |Wernicke Korsakoff Syndrome |Medically Unexplained symptoms |Postpartum/Postnatal Depression
🧠 Classification of Delusions by Content
| Classification | Content / Example |
|---|---|
| 🔪 Persecutory delusions | Belief that one is being harmed, threatened, cheated, harassed or conspired against. 📌 Most common type; typical in schizophrenia & delusional disorder. |
| 👑 Grandiose delusions | Belief of exceptional power, talent, or importance (e.g. “I am a king” / “I have mystical powers”). 📌 Seen in mania & psychosis. |
| 📺 Delusions of reference | Belief that neutral events/people refer specifically to oneself (e.g. TV presenter speaking about them). 📌 Schizophrenia hallmark. |
| 🙏 Religious delusions | False religious themes (e.g. “I am God’s chosen messenger”). Often grandiose. |
| 💌 Erotomania (Delusion of love) | Belief that another person is in love with them. 📌 De Clérambault syndrome: usually woman believes older/high-status man loves her. |
| 💔 Delusion of infidelity (Morbid jealousy, Othello syndrome) | Belief that partner is unfaithful. 📌 Important in forensic psychiatry due to risk of violence. |
| 🧑🤝🧑 Delusions of misidentification |
Capgras: Familiar person replaced by impostor.
Fregoli: Stranger is actually a familiar person in disguise. |
| 💀 Nihilistic delusions (Cotard syndrome) | Belief that self/others/world do not exist or world ending. 📌 Classically seen in severe depression with psychotic features. |
| 🩺 Somatic delusions | Belief concerning one’s body or health (e.g. “My intestines are rotting”). 📌 Also called hypochondriacal delusions. |
| 🐜 Delusions of infestation (Ekbom syndrome) | Belief of being infested with insects/parasites. 📌 Sometimes accompanied by tactile hallucinations (formication). |
| 🎮 Delusions of control (passivity / “made” experiences) |
Belief that one’s thoughts, feelings, or actions are controlled by external forces.
First-rank symptoms of schizophrenia:
– Thought insertion: thoughts implanted into one’s mind.
– Thought withdrawal: thoughts being taken away. – Thought broadcasting: others can hear one’s thoughts. |
| The content on this website is provided for educational and informational purposes only to support exam preparation (e.g., MLA, MRCP, USMLE) and learning. This is NOT medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional guidance. It does not replace consultation with a qualified healthcare professional, official guidelines (e.g., NICE, GMC, BNF), or supervised clinical practice. Always verify information with current, authoritative sources. Makindo and its contributors accept no liability for any reliance on this content, including errors, omissions, or any resulting harm, loss, or consequences. By using this site, you agree to these terms. |
|
|
Categories
- A Level
- About
- Acute Medicine
- Anaesthetics and Critical Care
- Anatomy
- Biochemistry
- Book
- Cardiology
- Collections
- CompSci
- Crib Sheets
- Dental
- Dermatology
- Differentials
- Drugs
- ENT
- Education
- Electrocardiogram
- Embryology
- Emergency Medicine
- Endocrinology
- Ethics
- Foundation Doctors
- GCSE
- Gastroenterology
- General Practice
- Genetics
- Geriatric Medicine
- Guidelines
- Gynaecology
- Haematology
- Hepatology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
- Infographic
- Investigations
- Lists
- Mandatory Training
- Medical Students
- Microbiology
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Nutrition
- OSCE
- Obstetrics
- Obstetrics Gynaecology
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Oral Medicine and Dentistry
- Orthopaedics
- Paediatrics
- Palliative
- Pathology
- Pharmacology
- Physiology
- Procedures
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
- Radiology
- Renal
- Respiratory
- Resuscitation
- Revision
- Rheumatology
- Statistics and Research
- Stroke
- Surgery
- Toxicology
- Trauma and Orthopaedics
- USMLE
- Urology
- Vascular Surgery