Persecutory delusions

Persecutory delusions (also known as querulent delusions^{[citation needed]}) 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 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. 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 (by the same people) to be delusional.^[4][5]

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

See also

• Grandiose delusions
• Paranoia
• Querulant
• Black Helicopters

References

1. ^ Freeman, D. & Garety, P.A. (2004) Paranoia: The Psychology of Persecutory Delusions. Hove: PsychoIogy Press. Page 13. ISBN 1-84169-522-X
2. ^ Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. 2000. p. 299. ISBN 0-89042-025-4. 
3. ^ Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. 2000. p. 325. ISBN 0-89042-025-4. 
4. ^ "After eight uncertain cases were excluded, the false reporting rate was judged to be 11.5%, with the majority of false victims suffering delusions (70%)." Sheridan, L. P.; Blaauw, E. (2004). "Characteristics of False Stalking Reports". Criminal Justice and Behavior 31: 55. doi:10.1177/0093854803259235.  edit
5. ^ Brown, S. A. (2008). "The Reality of Persecutory Beliefs: Base Rate Information for Clinicians". Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry 10 (3): 163–178. doi:10.1891/1559-4343.10.3.163. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7530/is_200810/ai_n32305261/pg_8/. "Collapsing across two studies that examined 40 British and 18 Australian false reporters (as determined by evidence overwhelmingly against their claims), these individuals fell into the following categories: delusional (64%), factitious/attention seeking (15%), hypersensitivity due to previous stalking (12%), were the stalker themselves (7%), and malingering individuals (2%) (Purcell, Pathe, & Mullen, 2002; Sheridan & Blaauw, 2004)."  edit