Folie à deuxalso known as “double delusion”, induced delusional disorder or shared delusional disorder, is a syndrome in which there is the transfer of psychotic delusions from a sick person, the primary psychotic, to an apparently healthy person, the secondary subject.
This transfer of delusional ideas is more common in people who maintain a close relationship and happens more frequently in women, with the transfer of delusions from an older person to a younger person, such as from a mother to a daughter, for example.
In most cases, only the people involved in sharing the delusion suffer from a genuine psychotic disorder, and the delusions in the secondary subject usually disappear when the people are separated.
Main features
According to some studies, the phenomenon madness for two is explained by the presence of a set of conditions, such as:
- One of the people, the primary psychotic, suffers from a psychotic disorder and exercises a relationship of dominance over the other person considered healthy;
- Both people who suffer from the disorder maintain a close and lasting relationship and generally live in an environment with little outside influence;
- The passive element is generally younger and female and has a heredity favorable to psychotic development;
- Symptoms manifested by the passive element are generally less severe than by the active element.
Generally, this disorder occurs when the inducing subject suffers from a psychotic disorder, and the psychotic disorder most frequently found in the inducing elements was schizophrenia, followed by delusional disorder, bipolar disorder and major depression.
How the diagnosis is made
The diagnosis of madness for two it must be done by the psychologist or psychiatrist based on observation of the relationship between the two people and characteristics presented, and a joint and individual assessment can be made.
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How the treatment is carried out
The treatment of induced delusional disorder consists primarily of separating the two people for at least 6 months, so that the “secondary subject” no longer presents the symptoms and characteristics of the disorder.
Furthermore, the inducing element must be admitted to the hospital, and may require pharmacological treatment with neuroleptic medications. In some cases, individual and family psychotherapy may also be recommended.
