The client who believes everyone is out to get them is experiencing a(n):

Choice A reason: Ideas of reference involve misinterpreting neutral events as having personal significance. Believing that others are plotting against them goes beyond this and reflects a fixed false belief. Choice B reason: Hallucinations are false sensory perceptions, such as hearing voices or seeing things that are not present. The client’s belief is cognitive, not sensory, so hallucination is not applicable. Choice C reason: Delusions are fixed false beliefs that are not based in reality and are resistant to evidence. Paranoid delusions involve beliefs of persecution, such as thinking others are out to get them. This is the most accurate classification. Choice D reason: Loose associations refer to disorganized speech where ideas are poorly connected. The client’s statement is coherent and focused on a specific belief, not disorganized thought flow.