Lesson 1: Clinical Disorders – Part C
PART C
Delusional Disorders
People with delusional disorders have false beliefs about what is going on in their lives. Their beliefs, however, involve situations that could occur in real life. For example, a married individual may believe that his or her spouse is cheating on him or her despite having no evidence to support this idea.
These types of delusions must last for a minimum of one month and they cannot be caused by drugs (illegal or prescribed) or medical illnesses. Aside from their delusions, people with delusional disorders usually behave rather ordinarily. Many individuals are able to function at work or school, (that is, unless their false beliefs are directly related to work or school), but the individual’s relationships with friends and family are almost always affected by the delusions.
Delusional disorder, also referred to as delusional paranoid disorder, can be distinguished from paranoid schizophrenia if the delusions are not accompanied by the following:
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• deterioration in personality |
The delusions of afflicted individuals can be categorized into various subgroups. Please see Chart 2.1 for details.
Chart 2.1
Subgroups of Delusions
| Type of Delusion | Description |
| Erotomanic | People suffering from this type of delusion believe that another person, usually someone important or famous, is in love with them. |
| Grandiose | Individuals believe that they are very great, powerful, talented, or knowledgeable. They may also believe they have a significant relationship with someone who is powerful, talented, or knowledgeable. |
| Jealous | With this delusion, a person believes that his or her sexual partner is being unfaithful. |
| Persecutory | Individuals with delusions of persecution believe they, or someone close to them, are being treated wrongly in some way (e.g., being deceived, drugged, swindled, or followed). |
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Somatic |
People with this delusion believe that they have some physical defect or medical problem. This defect or problem may be accompanied by smelling or feeling things that are not really there (e.g., odd odours, insects crawling over or underneath their skin). |
In summary, all delusions involve beliefs that have no basis in reality. In North America the prevalence of delusional disorder is approximately 3 in 10,000 people. The disorder usually starts after the age of 30 and occurs equally in men and women. Following are specific examples of delusions and syndromes that fall into the subgroups listed in Chart 2.1.