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Spurious childhood psychosis induced by schizophrenia in the parent

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

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We describe the case of a child presenting with what initially appeared as a pervasive developmental disorder (ICD F84.1) associated with, and in our view, induced by, schizophrenic illness in the mother. Important issues are raised for both adult and child psychiatry, in particular that the failure of the Mental Health Act (1983) to address the mother's needs adequately, left the child vulnerable to her untreated illness.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 1998 

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