Which behavior is most characteristic of a thought disorder?

Which behavior is most characteristic of a thought disorder?

• A. Blunted affect.
• B. Irritability.
• C. Lability of mood.
• D. Preoccupation with guilty feelings.

Answer: (A)

Thought disorders involve disturbances in the organization of thought, which show up as disorganized thinking and speech—speaking in a way that doesn’t go logically from one idea to the next, derailment, tangentiality, or illogical connections. Blunted affect, on the other hand, is a reduction in emotional expression and is classified as a negative symptom related to affect rather than to thought processes. Irritability and lability of mood reflect mood changes rather than the logic or coherence of thought, and preoccupation with guilty feelings points to depressive content rather than a disruption in thought form. The hallmark of a thought disorder is disorganized thinking and speech, which isn’t described by these options; the best way to identify it is to look for incoherent, tangential, or illogical thought patterns rather than changes in mood or affect.

Thought disorders involve disturbances in the organization of thought, which show up as disorganized thinking and speech—speaking in a way that doesn’t go logically from one idea to the next, derailment, tangentiality, or illogical connections. Blunted affect, on the other hand, is a reduction in emotional expression and is classified as a negative symptom related to affect rather than to thought processes. Irritability and lability of mood reflect mood changes rather than the logic or coherence of thought, and preoccupation with guilty feelings points to depressive content rather than a disruption in thought form. The hallmark of a thought disorder is disorganized thinking and speech, which isn’t described by these options; the best way to identify it is to look for incoherent, tangential, or illogical thought patterns rather than changes in mood or affect.