The nurse is assessing a client diagnosed with schizophrenia and asks, “Do you ever get messages through things like the television or microwave?" Which symptom of schizophrenia is the nurse assessing for?
Explanation & Rationale
Choice A reason: Circumstantiality refers to over-detailed speech that eventually reaches the point. It is a thought process disturbance, not a belief about external messages. Choice B reason: Illusions are misinterpretations of real external stimuli. The client would need to perceive something real and distort it, which is not the case here. Choice C reason: Delusions of reference involve the belief that neutral events (like TV broadcasts or microwave signals) carry special messages meant specifically for the individual. This question directly probes for such delusional thinking. Choice D reason: Hallucinations are false sensory perceptions without external stimuli. The question does not ask about hearing or seeing things that aren’t there but rather about interpreting real objects as sending messages.