Shared psychotic disorder with sexual delusions

Abstract

Shared psychotic disorder (SPD) is perceived as a relatively rare and poorly understood psychiatric phenomenon. Patients sharing sexual delusions may refer to sex therapists looking for treatment of an alleged sexual pathology. This might cause significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. The aim of this article was to discuss diagnostic and management difficulties of SPD with special interest in patients sharing sexual delusions. PubMed selective search was provided for publications with keywords including SPD, induced delusional disorder, folie à deux, and induced psychosis. One case is presented and discussed according to recent diagnostic criteria and the medical and legal issues of the therapy. © The Author(s) 2012. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com.