Abstract

Although delusions are regarded as the mark of psychosis, their observation in clinical contexts still leads to a number of empirical and conceptual debates. In this context, the typology debate tries to answer the question about the specific type of mental state instantiated by delusional beliefs. Answers to this debate are fundamental, particularly in terms of guiding empirical research on the aetiology and treatment of delusions. This article explores three approaches to this discussion. After examining all the strengths and weaknesses, suggestions are made about how these approaches – commonly depicted as rivals in current literature – might work together to gain a more complex, fruitful, and contextualised understanding of delusions in the context of psychosis.