Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:
Ravi was a sales assistant in an electronics shop who got a commission for every sale over and above his monthly salary. For the past few months, he had been behaving differently, and his performance was declining. When his boss checked with him, Ravi reported that he heard voices in his head telling him that the customers were spying on him. In fact, he was confident that someone had embedded a chip in his brain. Therefore, he was feeling threatened and deliberately victimized. Ravi's colleagues complained that he often used new and strange words and reacted inappropriately in any situation. One of Ravi's neighbours also shared that Ravi loved kicking and hurting street dogs and would laugh loudly when they were wounded and bled. It seemed that Ravi needed to visit a mental health professional to seek help.
In the passage, Ravi's behaviour can be classified under which disorder?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Schizophrenia
Option (1) Schizophrenia — Correct. Schizophrenia is a group of psychotic disorders in which functioning deteriorates because of disturbed thought processes, strange perceptions and unusual emotional states. Ravi shows its positive symptoms one by one:
he hears voices telling him that customers are spying on him (hallucination);
he is sure that someone has embedded a chip in his brain and feels deliberately victimised (delusions);
he uses new and strange words (disorganised speech);
he reacts inappropriately and laughs at wounded dogs (inappropriate affect).
His work performance has also been declining for months, which fits the fall in occupational functioning.
Option (2) Bipolar disorder — Incorrect. In bipolar disorder the person alternates between depression and mania, a state of elated mood, high energy and racing thoughts. The passage describes no swings of mood; it describes voices, false beliefs and strange words.
Option (3) Obsessive-compulsive disorder — Incorrect. Here a person is preoccupied with certain thoughts (obsessions) and feels driven to repeat certain acts (compulsions), such as washing hands again and again, while knowing these are unreasonable. Ravi has no such repeated thoughts or acts, and he does not see his beliefs as unreasonable.
Option (4) Multiple personality — Incorrect. Multiple personality is dissociative identity disorder, in which the person shows two or more separate and contrasting personalities, generally with a history of abuse. Ravi remains one person throughout; his problem lies in perception and thought.
NCERT (2025-26): “Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders … Schizophrenia is the descriptive term for a group of psychotic disorders in which personal, social and occupational functioning deteriorate as a result of disturbed thought processes, strange perceptions, unusual emotional states, and motor abnormalities. It is a debilitating disorder. The social and psychological costs of schizophrenia are tremendous, both to patients as well as to their families and society.…” “Symptoms of Schizophrenia … Positive symptoms are ‘pathological excesses’ or ‘bizarre additions’ to a person’s behaviour. Delusions, disorganised thinking and speech, heightened perception and hallucinations, and inappropriate affect are the ones most often found in schizophrenia.…” |