In schizotypal personality disorder, which item is explicitly excluded?

• A. Delusions of reference
• B. Ideas of reference
• C. Odd beliefs or magical thinking
• D. Excluding delusions of reference

Answer: (D)

In schizotypal personality disorder, people may have ideas of reference and odd beliefs or magical thinking, which are mild, non-delusional perceptual distortions and unusual beliefs that don’t reach the fixed, false conviction seen in delusions. Delusions of reference, by contrast, are fixed beliefs that unrelated events or others are specifically about the person, a psychotic symptom more typical of schizophrenia. Because schizotypal personality disorder is characterized by perceptual distortions and eccentric behavior without true delusions, delusions of reference are explicitly excluded from its diagnostic features. Therefore, the item indicating delusions of reference (the idea that delusions of reference are present) would not fit SPD, making it the one that is excluded.