False unshakable belief is known as?

Appeared in: NIMHANS Nursing Officer - 2021

Explanation

A delusion is defined as a false belief that is firmly held despite objective and obvious contradictory proof or evidence.
The belief is 'unshakable' or 'fixed,' meaning it is resistant to reason or being challenged with facts.
This belief is not shared by others in the person's culture or subculture.
Delusions are a primary symptom of psychosis and can be seen in disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression with psychotic features.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

Option A: Dementia is a disorder of cognition, not primarily a disorder of belief. It involves a progressive decline in memory, language, and problem-solving skills.
Option C: Delirium is a disorder of consciousness and attention. It is an acute, fluctuating state of confusion, not a fixed, false belief.
Option D: A hallucination is a disorder of perception, not belief. It is a false sensory experience, such as hearing voices or seeing things that are not actually present.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Disorders of thought content, specifically the definition of a delusion as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Assessing for delusions is a critical part of the mental status examination. It helps in diagnosing psychotic disorders.
When a patient expresses a delusional belief, it is important for the nurse to respond empathetically without either confirming or challenging the delusion. The focus should be on the underlying feelings and ensuring safety.
The content of the delusion can indicate the risk of harm to self or others. For example, persecutory delusions may lead to aggressive behavior, while nihilistic delusions can be associated with suicide risk.

How to Approach the Question

First, break down the question stem. The key phrase is 'False unshakable belief'.
Define this key phrase based on your knowledge. A 'belief' relates to thought content. 'False' and 'unshakable' point to a fixed, incorrect idea.
Next, evaluate each option against this definition.
Dementia is a cognitive decline (memory/thinking). This is incorrect.
Delusion is a false, fixed belief. This matches the definition perfectly.
Delirium is acute confusion/altered consciousness. This is incorrect.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Disorders of thought content, specifically the definition of a delusion.
Stem keywords: False, unshakable, belief
Lead-in keywords: known as
Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

Qoyz_v1UGxvpqm-Tr5hUL9

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) pp. 3802-3804, 3249-3251

E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 3563-3565

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