| Delusional beliefs in schizophrenia |
Their adoption brings short‐term anxiety relief by ending the uncertainty caused by perplexing experience. Depending on their content, their maintenance may cause distress. They are also likely to compromise socialization due to the lack of a shared reality.
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According to some predictive processing accounts, their adoption helps resume automated learning after disrupted prediction‐error signals. Habitual processes enable engagement with the physical and social environment. Given that flexible learning relative to the delusional content is disabled, delusions are fixed beliefs.
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| Delusional beliefs in dementia |
Their adoption and maintenance may lead to the construction of a better self and a better reality or fill explanatory gaps created by memory impairments. Their maintenance may cause inconsistencies in the self‐narrative and compromise socialization due to the lack of a shared reality.
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They may contribute to self‐esteem and reduce the risk of depression. They may also support the pursuit of one's goals by sustaining motivation. By distorting reality, they may prevent one from finding the best means to achieve one's goals.
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| “Motivated” delusions |
Their adoption and maintenance allow one to construct a better self and a better reality in response to negative emotions that could otherwise become overwhelming. Clashes between delusional content and reality may cause confusion and disappointment and compromise social relationships due to lack of a shared reality.
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By making one feel better, they enhance mood and reduce the risk of depression. They may also support the pursuit of one's goals by sustaining motivation. Due their distorting reality, they may prevent one from finding the best means to achieve one's goals.
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| Delusional beliefs in MDD or OCD |
They restore coherence between low mood and belief (MDD); and between obsessive and compulsive behavior and belief (OCD). Thus, they reduce fragmentation in the self‐narrative and tension in the sense of self. They can contribute to symptoms of MDD or OCD worsening.
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By making one feel worse, more guilty and inadequate, and less competent, delusions in MDD adversely affect mood which may negatively impact on goal pursuit via motivation. People with OCD who have delusions show poorer functioning and higher levels of depression than people with OCD who do not have delusions.
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