A client at the mental hospital believes certain gestures or comments, song lyrics, and passages in books are specifically intended for him. Based
on this description, which of the following terms is likely to appear in the
written description of the client's symptoms?

Question

A client at the mental hospital believes certain gestures or comments, song lyrics, and passages in books are specifically intended for him. Based
 on this description, which of the following terms is likely to appear in the
 written description of the client's symptoms?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The symptoms described suggest the presence of referential thinking, which is a belief that neutral events or stimuli are specifically intended for the individual. This is considered a positive symptom of psychosis and can be indicative of a variety of psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The term "bizarre" may also be used to describe this type of thinking, but "referential" is a more precise term. "Negative" symptoms refer to deficits in normal behaviors, such as lack of motivation or emotional expression, and "hallucinatory" symptoms refer to the experience of perceiving stimuli that are not actually there, such as hearing voices.

A Client at the Mental Hospital Believes Certain Gestures or Comments