Although in clinical practice it is often difficult to differentiate from the paranoid type of schizophrenia, the delusions in this disorder are characteristically systematized rather than bizarre. Also, other characteristics of the active phase of schizophrenia are absent or only fleetingly present, and personality functioning remains relatively intact outside the area of the delusional theme. An example would be a man’s belief that his wife is having an affair despite no evidence to support this conclusion. As indicated under delusion, subtypes are recognized on the basis of the predominant delusional theme.
A psychotic state wherein the patient experiences continued false beliefs despite the efforts of others to persuade or the evidence showing otherwise.
Individuals diagnosed with delusional disorder experience prolonged and intricate delusions that can be classified into six distinct categories: persecutory (feeling targeted or threatened), grandiose (exaggerated sense of self-importance), jealous (unfounded suspicions of infidelity), erotomanic (belief that someone is in love with them), somatic (preoccupation with physical health and bodily functions), or mixed (involving elements from multiple categories).