Question

The police bring a man into the hospital who has been stealing satellite dishes off houses and setting them up in his own yard because he feels that he has a chip in his head that allows him to talk directly to God. He states that God has instructed him to do this as preparation for the second coming. When his wife is questioned about her husband's behavior she responds that indeed God has been directly communicating with her husband, and that she has helped him steal some of the larger satellite dishes. The wife's condition can best be described as:

A. Schizoid personality disorder
B. Major depressive disorder
C. Delusional disorder
D. Bipolar disorder
E. Substance-induced psychotic disorder

Answer 1

The wife's belief in shared delusions with her husband about divine communication suggests a diagnosis of Delusional disorder, consistent with the shared psychotic disorder Folie à deux.

Step-by-step explanation:

The condition of the man's wife, who believes that God is communicating with her husband and has been helping him steal satellite dishes, can best be described as Delusional disorder. This psychiatric condition involves the presence of one or more delusions that persist for at least one month, and the affected individual may otherwise show no obvious odd or bizarre behavior. The shared delusional beliefs with her husband, particularly without any personal history of delusions or psychotic symptoms before this shared belief, points to Delusional disorder, specifically Folie à deux or shared psychotic disorder.