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Folie à deux: double case-report of shared delusions with a fatal outcome.

Authors: A, Talamo; A, Vento; V, Savoja; D, Di Cosimo; S, Lazanio; G D, Kotzalidis; G, Manfredi; +2 Authors

Folie à deux: double case-report of shared delusions with a fatal outcome.

Abstract

Treatment of shared delusional disorder (folie à deux) often involves separation and use of antipsychotic medication, with uncertain outcomes and potential risks.We report on two highly interdependent and chronically psychotic sisters with shared systematic delusion, followed by psychiatrists over several years.The dominant patient was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and her non-dominant sister with paranoid schizophrenia. Both received antipsychotics and supportive therapy as outpatients and allowed to continue conjoint therapy with individual psychiatrists-therapists. They returned for follow-up visits for 20 months, when the dominant decided to continue treatment alone, as her sister gradually improved symptomatically and functionally. After separation, the dominant became increasingly anxious. She impulsively ingested an overdose of the non-dominant sister's medicines and died of cardiac arrest, despite her sister's efforts to seek medical assistance. The surviving non-dominant sister developed anxiety and increasing agitation requiring psychiatric hospitalization and increased pharmacotherapy. She improved gradually, but continued to be dysfunctional and required placement in a psychiatric inpatient unit for several months, eventually doing better in a community-based rehabilitative program with regular psychiatric follow-up.Combined treatment of patients with folie à deux may encourage continuous pathological interactions, but separation may increase risk of adverse outcomes.

Related Organizations
Keywords

Adult, Epilepsy, Schizophrenia, Paranoid, Nordazepam, Combined Modality Therapy, Shared Paranoid Disorder, Psychotherapy, Benzodiazepines, Suicide, Fatal Outcome, Psychotic Disorders, Olanzapine, Haloperidol, Humans, Patient Compliance, Sibling Relations, Anticonvulsants, Female, Clozapine, Antipsychotic Agents

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
4
Average
Top 10%
Average
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