Shared psychotic disorder in children of parents with untreated schizophrenia: A case series

Abstract

Shared psychotic disorder (folie à deux) is a unique disorder with varied clinical presentation, posing difficulties in management. Parent–child dyads have been described to be commonly affected by this disorder but very few cases from India are available. Three cases who had parents suffering from untreated schizophrenia and shared their psychotic symptoms presented to the department. Two of these were twins with comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), who required management for the ADHD. Social isolation was a common and the most important risk factor. All three cases showed improvement in psychosis with separation from the primary and none required the use of antipsychotics. Implications and treatment strategies for shared psychotic disorder in children are also discussed.