False beliefs about bodily dysfunction are known as?

• A. Somatic delusions
• B. Delusions
• C. Hallucinations
• D. Illusions

Answer: (A)

Somatic delusions are fixed, false beliefs about bodily health, function, or sensations. They involve a conviction that something is wrong with the body despite normal medical evaluation and clear evidence to the contrary. This makes them a specific subtype of delusion, focused on bodily issues.

Hallucinations are false sensory experiences (seeing, hearing, feeling things) without an external stimulus, not held beliefs. Illusions are misperceptions of real stimuli (mistaking a rope for a snake). Delusions cover a range of content, but when the belief specifically concerns bodily dysfunction, it’s categorized as somatic delusion. For example, insisting that one's organs are rotten or that there is a hidden parasite infestation despite all tests being normal.