FOLIE A DEUX

Abstract

Since Las#{232}gue and Fairet in 1877 described this condition commonly known today as induced or communicated psychosis, several cases have been reported yearly. Nevertheless such cases still occur so that further reports seem advisable. The two cases herein reported are especially interesting because, aside from the usual transference of systematized delusions, the induced also suffered from hallucinations in the auditory and visual spheres, once such phenomena were suggested by the inducer. Boyd defined “folie a deux” as a mental disorder occurring in two or more predisposed individuals who have been intimately associated with each other, the predominating feature being delusions, particularly of a paranoid type, which are transferred from one individual to another. The majority of cases of folie a deux cited in previous reports appear to be in members of the same family. Cases, such as this one, where transference of ideas occurs between husband and wife, appear infrequently. As in most cases in the literature in our two patients the dominant personality rested in the primary case (husband), and the abnormally submissive personality in the induced (wife). The two patients admitted to this hospital resemble in many ways those reported by Pike and Chamberlain in 1933, in that while their memories remained intact and there was no clouding of the consciousness, marked perception disorders were present as demonstrated by both auditory and visual hallucinations. It is difficult to conjecture how long the husband in this case was psychotic before the wife developed the same delusions. From all that could be gathered it seems that she was susceptible very early in their relationship, that she was highly suggestible to his ideas. It was probably only a matter of weeks before the suggestions presented to her became definitely fixed ideas.