Persecutory delusion

Persecutory delusions are a delusional condition in which the affected person believes they are being persecuted . Specifically, they have been defined as containing two central elements: ^{[ 1 ]}

1. The individual thinks that harm is occurring, or is going to occur.


2. The individual thinks that the perceived persecutor has the intention to cause harm.

According to the DSM-IV-TR , persecutory delusions are the most common form of delusions in schizophrenia , where the person believes "he or she is being tormented, followed, tricked, spied on, or ridiculed." ^{[ 2 ]} In the DSM-IV-TR, persecutory delusions are the main feature of the persecutory type of delusional disorder .

Legal aspects

When the focus is to remedy some injustice by legal action, they are sometimes called " querulous paranoia ". ^{[ 3 ]}

In cases where reporters of stalking behavior have been judged to be making false reports, a majority of them were judged to be delusional. ^{[ 4 ] [ 5 ]}

If the delusion results in imprisonment or involuntary commitment , the person may feel justified in this belief.

Treatment

Persecutory delusions are usually treated with medications for schizophrenia, especially when positive symptoms are present. Both first-generation antipsychotics and second-generation antipsychotics may be useful. ^{[ 6 ]} Cognitive behavioral therapy has also been used.