Question

A 65-year-old woman with schizophrenia believes that she is pregnant with God's child. She has been convinced of this for the past 5 years. When you confront her on this, she tells you that she is certain that she is pregnant and that God is the father. She will not agree that this is not true. Her thinking is an example of which one of the following?

A. Egomania
B. Coprolalia
C. Delusion
D. Ailurophobia
E. Obsession

Answer 1

The woman's belief in being pregnant with God's child is an example of a delusion, a symptom of her condition, schizophrenia. Treatment involves using antipsychotic medications to manage such symptoms. Therefore, the correct option is C.

Step-by-step explanation:

The 65-year-old woman with schizophrenia who believes she is pregnant with God's child is experiencing a delusion. A delusion is a fixed, false belief that is resistant to confrontation with actual facts, and in this case, the belief in a divine pregnancy despite evidence to the contrary. Schizophrenia is characterized by symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, and negative symptoms, such as a flattened emotional state or loss of pleasure. In treating schizophrenia, antipsychotic medications are often employed to manage symptoms by blocking dopamine receptors, though they do not cure the illness and must be taken indefinitely.