Muzumel A. Chaudhary, MD, Psychiatry Resident, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.
Kiran Rabheru, MD, CCFP, FRCP, ABPN, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia; Geriatric Psychiatrist, Vancouver General, University of British Columbia, and Riverview Hospitals, Vancouver, BC.
New-onset paranoid symptoms are common among older individuals. They can signify an acute mental status change owing to medical illness, correspond to behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, or equate to an underlying affective or primary psychotic mental disorder. The implications of paranoid symptoms are considerable and affect patients, families, and caregivers alike. Accurate identification, diagnosis, and treatment of late-life paranoid symptoms present a unique clinical challenge as issues of morbidity and mortality are inherent both to the illness state and available treatment approaches.
Key words: paranoia, delusions, etiology, older adults, atypical antipsychotic.
