Thought Broadcasting
A psychotic symptom in which an individual believes that their thoughts are being transmitted to and heard by others, documented as a first-rank symptom of schizophrenia.
Full Definition
Thought broadcasting is one of Kurt Schneider's first-rank symptoms of schizophrenia and is documented in mental status examinations and diagnostic assessments to characterise the nature of a patient's psychotic experience. It must be distinguished from 'thought insertion' (the belief that thoughts are being placed into one's mind by an external agent) and 'thought withdrawal' (the belief that thoughts are being removed). In editorial contexts, these three terms—thought broadcasting, thought insertion, and thought withdrawal—are a classic confusable cluster and must be rendered precisely as documented. The terms are always lowercased when used descriptively and should not be capitalised unless they begin a sentence. Misidentification or substitution within this cluster constitutes a clinically significant error.
Usage
Usage note: Do not capitalise descriptively. Never substitute for 'thought insertion' or 'thought withdrawal'—each denotes a distinct psychotic phenomenon. Verify usage against the clinician's original documentation before making any editorial changes.
In Context
- "The MSE documented active thought broadcasting, with the patient reporting that strangers on the bus could hear his internal monologue." — Inpatient psychiatric MSE
- "Editors must take care not to replace 'thought broadcasting' with 'ideas of reference,' as these are distinct first-rank symptoms with different diagnostic implications." — Diagnostic assessment report