DELUSIONAL DISORDER

Course overview

A DELUSION IS A FIXED FALSE BELIEF BASED ON AN INACCURATE INTERPRETATION OF AN EXTERNAL REALITY DESPITE EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY. THE DIAGNOSIS OF A DELUSIONAL DISORDER IS MADE WHEN A PERSON HAS ONE OR MORE NON-BIZARRE (SITUATIONS THAT ARE NOT REAL BUT ALSO NOT IMPOSSIBLE) DELUSIONAL THOUGHTS FOR ONE MONTH OR MORE THAT CANNOT BE EXPLAINED BY ANY OTHER CONDITION. AN INDIVIDUAL'S CULTURAL BELIEFS MERIT CONSIDERATION BEFORE COMING TO THE DIAGNOSIS. CULTURAL BELIEFS ALSO IMPACT THE CONTENT OF DELUSIONS. IN PATIENTS WITH DELUSIONAL DISORDER, DELUSIONS(S) DO NOT IMPACT FUNCTIONALITY AND THE PATIENT'S BEHAVIOR IS NOT OVERTLY BIZARRE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF DELUSIONAL DISORDER, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.