Which of the following is true regarding primary delusions?
Exam Question Jul 2014
All delusions can be systematised. Delusions are described as systematised when they are integrated into a belief system. A systematised delusional belief system will distort aspects of reality to incorporate them into the belief system.
Secondary delusions are usually understandable in terms of the patients mood and previous experience. Primary delusions arise spontaneously and tend to be more bizarre and harder to understand.
They are usually understandable19%They can be systematised18%They are synonymous with overvalued ideas19%They are a typical feature of depression22%They arise following abnormal perceptual experiences22%
Exam Question Jul 2014
All delusions can be systematised. Delusions are described as systematised when they are integrated into a belief system. A systematised delusional belief system will distort aspects of reality to incorporate them into the belief system.
Secondary delusions are usually understandable in terms of the patients mood and previous experience. Primary delusions arise spontaneously and tend to be more bizarre and harder to understand.
Delusions (primary and secondary)
A primary delusion is one that arises spontaneously, from normal psychological processes and not as a consequence of psychopathology.
A secondary delusion develops as a consequence of an abnormal experience.
For instance, if a delusion arises following a patient's experience of auditory hallucinations it is classed as secondary.
Types of primary delusion include:-
- Delusional perception - A normal perception followed by a delusional interpretation
- Delusional memory - The recollection of an event or idea that is clearly delusional in nature
- Delusional mood - Delusion arising from a strange mood
- Autochthonous delusion - A delusion that appears out of the blue (spontaneously), i.e. not following a perception, memory or mood
The following Royal College document is worth a read.
The description of primary delusions:confusion in standard texts and among clinicians, Psychiatric Bulletin (1997).
