Thought Insertion
A first-rank psychotic symptom in which a patient believes that thoughts not their own are being placed into their mind by an external force.
Full Definition
Thought insertion is a Schneiderian first-rank symptom most commonly documented in psychotic disorders, particularly schizophrenia. In clinical records, editors will encounter it paired with other passivity phenomena such as thought withdrawal and thought broadcasting. It must be distinguished from intrusive thoughts (an anxiety construct) because the two are treated and coded differently in diagnostic documentation. When editing psychiatric evaluations, the term should not be hyphenated and should appear in lower case unless beginning a sentence.
Usage
Usage note: Do not hyphenate; lower case in running text. Distinct from 'intrusive thoughts,' which belongs to anxiety disorder documentation, not psychosis documentation.
In Context
- "The evaluating psychiatrist documented thought insertion as a discrete first-rank symptom distinct from the patient's concurrent auditory hallucinations." — Psychiatric evaluation report
- "Editors should verify that thought insertion is not conflated with intrusive thoughts when reviewing anxiety disorder progress notes." — Editorial style guidance