Delusions ; psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Psychotic Disorders ; psychology ; Syndrome

The authors studied paranoid ideation and obsession, using Derogatis' SCL-90, in the subjects of 2,564 male and 1,252 female college freshmen of Yeungnam University. The authors collected the reports of Self-Rating Paranoid ideation and Obsession Scale during the periods from January to February, 1987, and applied ANOVA and t-test on paranoid ideation and obsession scores in order to compare them between various psychosocial factors, and sexes. The results are as follows: 1. There was not significant difference in the mean averages of total paranoid ideation scores between male and female students: male students scored 4.16±3.09, female students scored 4.16±2.91. 2. High scored items were delusion and suspiciousness. 3. Fifty-nine male students (2.3%) showed high paranoid ideation scores of 12 or higher, while twenty-six female students (2.1%) showed the same scores. 4. There was strong tendency toward higher paranoid ideation scores in the students who were dissatisfied with their home atmosphere, college, department and familiarity of parents and those who had pessimistic view of self in the past, present or future in both group (respectively P<0.001). The male students who believed protestantism showed higher level of paranoid ideation scores (P<0.01). The male students who attended the department of fine art showed higher level of paranoid ideation scores (P<0.05). 5. There was significant difference in the mean averages of total obsession scores between male and female students (P<0.05): male students scored 10.40±5.43, female students scored 10.75±5.02 6. High scored items were perfectionism, indecisiveness, inattention & obsessive thoughts. 7. Thirty-eight male students (1.6%) showed high obsession scores of 25 or higher, while fifteen female students (1.2%) showed the same scores. 8. There was strong tendency toward higher obsession scores in the students who were dissatisfied with their home atmosphere, college, department and familiarity of parents and those who had pessimistic view of self in the past, present, or future in both group (respectively P<0.001). The female students who attended the department of home economic & whose educational fees were paid by her brothers & sister, showed higher level of obsession scores (respectively P<0.01).
Atmosphere ; Delusions ; Fees and Charges ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Obsessive Behavior* ; Parents ; Protestantism ; Psychology ; Recognition (Psychology) ; Siblings

OBJECTIVE: Research suggests that the contents of delusions in schizophrenia are influenced by culture and social environment. However, few studies have investigated the chronological change of such delusions within a society. To investigate specifically the changes in the persecutory delusions of schizophrenia that have occurred over time, we compared the nature of the persecutors and their persecutory behaviors among inpatients with schizophrenia. METHODS: All admissions to the psychiatric unit of Hanyang University Guri Hospital with discharge diagnoses of schizophrenia during two different five-year time frames (1996-2000 and 2006-2010) were reviewed. From their inpatient medical records, we investigated the descriptions of persecutors and their persecutory behaviors in the delusions of 124 patients (54 in the1990s and 72 in the 2000s). RESULTS: Overall, persecutory behaviors and nature of persecutors in the delusions of schizophrenia did not differ between the two time frames. However, subgroup analysis revealed that in women but not in men, rejection as a persecutory behavior was significantly higher in the 1990s (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The ten-year time interval may be too short to find significant changes in delusional content in general. However, our additional finding in women may be a result of the tremendous change in status of Korean women during the last decade.
Delusions ; Ethnopsychology ; Female ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Male ; Medical Records ; Rejection (Psychology) ; Schizophrenia ; Social Environment

PURPOSE: To clarify the effects of missing values due to behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients on the neuropsychological tests, this study describes the pattern of missing values due to BPSD, and its influence on tests. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Drug-naive probable AD patients (n=127) with BPSD and without BPSD (n=32) were assessed with Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery including measures of memory, intelligence, and executive functioning. Moreover, patients were rated on Korean Neuropsychiatry Inventory (K-NPI). RESULTS: The more severe the K-NPI score, the less neuropsychological tests were assessable, leading to many missing values. Patients with BPSD were more severely demented than those without BPSD. K-NPI scores were significantly correlated with the number of missing values. The effect of BPSD was largest for tests measuring frontal functions. The replacement of the missing values due to BPSD by the lowest observed score also showed the largest effect on tests of frontal function. CONCLUSION: The global cognitive and behavior scales are related with missing values. Among K-NPI sub-domains, delusion, depressing, apathy, and aberrant motor behavior are significantly correlated for missing values. Data imputation of missing values due to BPSD provides a more differentiated picture of cognitive deficits in AD with BPSD.
Aged ; Alzheimer Disease/*psychology ; Behavioral Symptoms ; Cognition ; Delusions ; Dementia/psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Regression Analysis

In this transcultural study of schizophrenic delusions among patients in Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei, we discovered that both the frequency and content of delusions differed among the three groups; and that these differences could perhaps be explained by varying sociocultural and political situations. Delusional themes that are sensitive to sociocultural or political situations include guilt, love/sex, religion, somatic damage, economy/business and politics. Delusions regarding longevity, love/sex, dysmorphophobia/dysosmophobia, religion or supernatural matters, and espionage/spy stories were most frequent in Seoul patients. Those in Taipei predominantly had delusions about possession, religion or supernatural matters, hypnotism, and mass media/computers. Shanghai patients often had delusions of poisons, being prickled by poisoned needles, their brain and viscera extracted and being a family member of political authorities.
Adult ; China/epidemiology ; Cross-Cultural Comparison ; Delusions/psychology ; Delusions/epidemiology* ; Female ; Human ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Age ; Prevalence ; Religion ; Schizophrenia/epidemiology* ; Taiwan/epidemiology

Delusional parasitosis is characterized by the unshakeable belief of being infested with tiny (microscopic) insects. Patients spend much time trying to get rid of the bugs and suffer from these symptoms. Patients prefer to go to dermatologists because they have a strong conviction over the presence of a somatic disease and do not accept any psychiatric advice for their complaints. 'Folie a deux' or shared psychotic disorder (SPD) is a relatively rare syndrome, which has long attracted clinical attention. Delusional parasitosis is associated in 5-15% of SPD and can run within a family. We experienced delusional parasitosis as 'Folie a Deux' between a mother and her son and successfully treated them through early psychiatric intervention. We believe that attention should be drawn to DP with SPD.
Adult ; Delusions/*diagnosis/*psychology ; Ectoparasitic Infestations/psychology ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Paranoid Disorders/diagnosis/psychology ; Shared Paranoid Disorder/*diagnosis/*psychology ; Social Isolation

OBJECTIVES : The purpose of this study was to investigate differences between involuntarily and voluntarily hospitalized patients with schizophrenia. METHODS : Patients who were hospitalized between 2001 and 2005 with a diagnosis of DSM-IV schizophrenia were included. The subjects were grouped by whether their admission was voluntary or involuntary. The data were collected through inpatient medical records. The two groups were compared regarding demographic variables and clinical features, and we examined the number of rehospitalizations, duration of follow-up, follow-up retention rate and second admission pattern for a period of 3 years after discharge. RESULTS : 181 subjects were classified as according to their admission into the involuntary group, and 69 subjects as the voluntary group. There were more female patients, more past admissions and longer duration of illness in the involuntary group. The patients in the involuntary group had more problematic behaviors with their chief complaint being delusions. The follow-up retention rate was lower (44.8% vs. 59.4%) and the rate of the second involuntary admission was higher in the involuntary group. CONCLUSION : Involuntary hospitalization may be an important predictor for treatment maintenance in patients with schizophrenia.
Delusions ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Medical Records ; Patient Admission ; Retention (Psychology) ; Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVES : The purpose of this study was to investigate differences between involuntarily and voluntarily hospitalized patients with schizophrenia. METHODS : Patients who were hospitalized between 2001 and 2005 with a diagnosis of DSM-IV schizophrenia were included. The subjects were grouped by whether their admission was voluntary or involuntary. The data were collected through inpatient medical records. The two groups were compared regarding demographic variables and clinical features, and we examined the number of rehospitalizations, duration of follow-up, follow-up retention rate and second admission pattern for a period of 3 years after discharge. RESULTS : 181 subjects were classified as according to their admission into the involuntary group, and 69 subjects as the voluntary group. There were more female patients, more past admissions and longer duration of illness in the involuntary group. The patients in the involuntary group had more problematic behaviors with their chief complaint being delusions. The follow-up retention rate was lower (44.8% vs. 59.4%) and the rate of the second involuntary admission was higher in the involuntary group. CONCLUSION : Involuntary hospitalization may be an important predictor for treatment maintenance in patients with schizophrenia.
Delusions ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Medical Records ; Patient Admission ; Retention (Psychology) ; Schizophrenia

Disease identity of dysmorphophobia and olfactory reference syndrome which used to be manifested by a kind of monosymptomatic somatic delusion is not yet established definitely. So many issues such as whether it be regarded as separate disease, or a spectrum of preexisting diseases such as schizophrenia or obsessive compulsive disorder and whether the monosymptom should be considered as a delusion or not are still on debate and the results are controversial. Consequently few is known about the etiology of the disorder.Obvioulsy, somatic delusion in dysmorphophobia and olfactory reference syndrome is the result of cognitive distortion of body image of the self. It reflects symbolic meaning of unresolved psychological conflict by defense mechanisms such as repression, dissociation, symbolization, projection, and so on. Though psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment modality has been reported, the treatment efficacy is unclear. Prognosis has been reported unfavorable and one of the leading causes has been thought to be treatment noncompliance. The authors experienced 2 cases of olfactory reference syndrome, so reported with literature review.
Body Image ; Defense Mechanisms ; Delusions ; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder ; Preexisting Condition Coverage ; Prognosis ; Repression, Psychology ; Schizophrenia ; Treatment Outcome