Shared Psychotic Disorder

Shared Psychotic Disorder

A Shared Psychotic Disorder is one is which a person who has a psychosis essentially superimposes their delusions onto a previously healthy person, who then shares the delusion. As an example, a man with schizophrenia may falsely believe that his children are trying to murder him. His wife develops shared psychotic disorder and comes to believe it as well.

Diagnostic Criteria of Shared Psychotic Disorder

1. A delusion develops in an individual in the context of a close relationship with another person(s), who has an already-established delusion.
2. The delusion is similar in content to that of the person who already has the established delusion.
3. The disturbance is not better accounted for by another Psychotic Disorder (e.g., Schizophrenia) or a Mood Disorder With Psychotic Features and is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.

Differential Diagnosis of Shared Psychotic Disorder

Some disorders have similar or even the same symptom. The clinician, therefore, in his diagnostic attempt has to differentiate against the following disorders which he needs to rule out to establish a precise diagnosis.

Schizophrenia, Delusional Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder, and Mood Disorder With Psychotic Features.

Treatment of Shared Psychotic Disorder

It is difficult for individuals with shared psychotic disorder to seek treatment on their own as they feel nothing is wrong. Shared Psychotic Disorder treatment generally includes separation of the psychotic individuals and administration of antipsychotic medications.

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Site last updated: March 4, 2008

Shared Psychotic Disorder