Folie à Deux in the Setting of COVID-19 Quarantine

We relay the case of a middle-aged male and his mother, an elderly female, who presented with folie à deux in the context of shared delusions of persecution and somatization during the COVID-19 quarantine period. The delusions were described as electric microwave shocks being transmitted to their in...

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Main Authors: Maxsaya Baez Nuñez, Ezequiel Rodriguez, Matthew DeLuca, Krishan Chirimunj, Monica Dhingra
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Psychiatry
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/2046436
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author Maxsaya Baez Nuñez
Ezequiel Rodriguez
Matthew DeLuca
Krishan Chirimunj
Monica Dhingra
author_facet Maxsaya Baez Nuñez
Ezequiel Rodriguez
Matthew DeLuca
Krishan Chirimunj
Monica Dhingra
author_sort Maxsaya Baez Nuñez
collection DOAJ
description We relay the case of a middle-aged male and his mother, an elderly female, who presented with folie à deux in the context of shared delusions of persecution and somatization during the COVID-19 quarantine period. The delusions were described as electric microwave shocks being transmitted to their internal organs by neighbors, followed by somatic symptoms of palpitations, headaches, and a shock-like perception. To the best of our knowledge, there have not been any reports that describe the development of folie à deux in the setting of the COVID-19 quarantine. Folie à deux may be defined as delusions affecting two or more individuals, usually first-degree relatives. Delusions classically transmit from one person, coined the inducer, to one or several individuals, the induced, who share and may expand on the communicated delusions. The preconditions that must exist for folie à deux to develop are an intimate emotional association between the inducer and the induced and a genetic predisposition to psychosis, such as blood relations with primary relatives. Isolation from society has also been considered a potential risk factor for shared psychosis in the recent literature. Given that to the best of our knowledge, there have not been any reports describing the development of folie à deux in the setting of the COVID-19 quarantine, the authors aim to dissect how extended periods of shared isolation from society during such a significant time in history may have served as a significant precipitating factor in the onset of shared psychotic disorder, while simultaneously illustrating a parallel relation to how such conditions may predispose certain subgroups to similarly dynamic-based mental health disorders. In addition, an evaluation of the origins and multifactorial etiology of folie à deux, along with that of existing treatment modalities, and the emphasis on advancement toward more effective treatment approaches will be provided.
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spelling doaj-art-635341c06c564bdab4249c6f462cd88a2025-02-03T01:08:47ZengWileyCase Reports in Psychiatry2090-68382022-01-01202210.1155/2022/2046436Folie à Deux in the Setting of COVID-19 QuarantineMaxsaya Baez Nuñez0Ezequiel Rodriguez1Matthew DeLuca2Krishan Chirimunj3Monica Dhingra4St. George’s University School of MedicineSt. George’s University School of MedicineSt. George’s University School of MedicineBergen Newbridge Medical CenterBergen Newbridge Medical CenterWe relay the case of a middle-aged male and his mother, an elderly female, who presented with folie à deux in the context of shared delusions of persecution and somatization during the COVID-19 quarantine period. The delusions were described as electric microwave shocks being transmitted to their internal organs by neighbors, followed by somatic symptoms of palpitations, headaches, and a shock-like perception. To the best of our knowledge, there have not been any reports that describe the development of folie à deux in the setting of the COVID-19 quarantine. Folie à deux may be defined as delusions affecting two or more individuals, usually first-degree relatives. Delusions classically transmit from one person, coined the inducer, to one or several individuals, the induced, who share and may expand on the communicated delusions. The preconditions that must exist for folie à deux to develop are an intimate emotional association between the inducer and the induced and a genetic predisposition to psychosis, such as blood relations with primary relatives. Isolation from society has also been considered a potential risk factor for shared psychosis in the recent literature. Given that to the best of our knowledge, there have not been any reports describing the development of folie à deux in the setting of the COVID-19 quarantine, the authors aim to dissect how extended periods of shared isolation from society during such a significant time in history may have served as a significant precipitating factor in the onset of shared psychotic disorder, while simultaneously illustrating a parallel relation to how such conditions may predispose certain subgroups to similarly dynamic-based mental health disorders. In addition, an evaluation of the origins and multifactorial etiology of folie à deux, along with that of existing treatment modalities, and the emphasis on advancement toward more effective treatment approaches will be provided.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/2046436
spellingShingle Maxsaya Baez Nuñez
Ezequiel Rodriguez
Matthew DeLuca
Krishan Chirimunj
Monica Dhingra
Folie à Deux in the Setting of COVID-19 Quarantine
Case Reports in Psychiatry
title Folie à Deux in the Setting of COVID-19 Quarantine
title_full Folie à Deux in the Setting of COVID-19 Quarantine
title_fullStr Folie à Deux in the Setting of COVID-19 Quarantine
title_full_unstemmed Folie à Deux in the Setting of COVID-19 Quarantine
title_short Folie à Deux in the Setting of COVID-19 Quarantine
title_sort folie a deux in the setting of covid 19 quarantine
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/2046436
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