Capgras syndrome is categorized as which type of psychiatric symptom?

• A. Dissociative disorder
• B. Delusional misidentification syndrome
• C. Mood disorder
• D. Anxiety disorder

Answer: (B)

Capgras syndrome is a delusional misidentification syndrome, a fixed false belief that a familiar person has been replaced by an identical impostor. This pattern is a delusion—belief is not shared by others and persists despite contrary evidence—placing Capgras among psychotic symptoms rather than memory, mood, or anxiety disorders. It differs from dissociative disorders, which involve disruptions in identity or memory, and from mood or anxiety disorders, which center on affective symptoms rather than a misidentification belief. In clinical terms, the hallmark is the misidentification of a known person as an impostor, occurring without a change in the person’s actual identity.