Schizophrenia Q 58
The nurse is caring for a client who experiences false sensory perceptions with no basis in reality. These perceptions are known as:
A. Delusions
B. Hallucinations
C. Loose associations
D. Neologisms
Correct Answer: B. Hallucinations
Hallucinations are visual, auditory, gustatory, tactile, or olfactory perceptions that have no basis in reality. The word “hallucination” comes from Latin and means “to wander mentally.” Hallucinations are defined as the “perception of a nonexistent object or event” and “sensory experiences that are not caused by stimulation of the relevant sensory organs.” In layman’s terms, hallucinations involve hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, or even tasting things that are not real. Auditory hallucinations, which involve hearing voices or other sounds that have no physical source, are the most common type.
Option A: Delusions are false beliefs, rather than perceptions, that the client accepts as real. Delusions are defined as fixed, false beliefs that conflict with reality. Despite contrary evidence, a person in a delusional state can’t let go of their convictions. Delusions are often reinforced by the misinterpretation of events. Many delusions also involve some level of paranoia. For example, someone might contend that the government is controlling our every move via radio waves despite evidence to the contrary.
Option C: Loose associations are rapid shifts among unrelated ideas. In cases of severely disordered thinking, thoughts lose almost all connections with one another and become disconnected and disjointed. This illogical thinking is called derailment or “loose” associations. In simple terms, the thinking process is frequently derailed, characterized by very weak or loose associations.
Option D: Neologisms are bizarre words that have meaning only to the client. In psychiatry, the term is used to describe the creation of words which only have meaning to the person who uses them. It is considered normal in children, but a symptom of thought disorder indicative of a psychotic mental illness such as schizophrenia in adults. Usage of neologisms may also be related to aphasia acquired after brain damage resulting from a stroke or head injury.