Folie à deux

Folie à deux [ fɔli ADO ] (Fr. " mental disorder for two" ), also called " induced delusional disorder ", " shared psychotic disorder " (DSM -IV 297.3 ), " psychotic infection " or " symbiotic delusion ", refers to the relatively rare, whole or partial takeover of a delusional symptomatology by a related primarily not delusional sick partner. After a separation of delusion usually disappears in the previously healthy person. A social isolation is seen as an important risk factor for the occurrence of the fault.

However, recent studies indicate that the current classification criteria may be insufficient to capture all the character of an Folie à deux; that the spectrum of transmitted symptoms is much greater; that the " previously healthy " person is actually very at risk of developing a psychiatric disorder or already suffer from a significant disturbance; and in that a separation of the partners in a large number of cases is not sufficient to clear the fault.

The " induced delusional disorder " is the differential diagnosis of the " compliant delusion " (along mating delusion itself ) to separate, indicating a common development of their mania symptoms in two primary sufferers.

The term Folie à deux was coined by Ernest -Charles Lasègue. He described this phenomenon in a 1877 published jointly with Jules Farlet article as a correlation between the " psychopathologies related persons".

Cultural reception

In the film Intruders by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (2011) the clinical picture to the resolution of the story is used.

Episode 19, Season 5, the X-Files - The Files (1998), bears the original English version titled " Folie à deux " and is about a man who sees a monster in his head, and even Fox Mulder can convince his vision.