Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-31T14:29:11.207Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Prediction of Dangerous Behaviour in Male Erotomania

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Robin P. D. Menzies ,
J. Paul Fedoroff ,
Christopher M. Green  and
Kari Isaacson
Robin P. D. Menzies*
Affiliation:
Regional Psychiatric Centre (Prairies), and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon
J. Paul Fedoroff
Affiliation:
The Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Christopher M. Green
Affiliation:
AMI Stockton Hall, York, UK
Kari Isaacson
Affiliation:
The Clarke Institute of Psychiatry
*
Dr Menzies, Knox Manse, 505 4th Ave N, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7K 3M5
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

New cases of erotomania in men, plus cases from the literature, were analysed to explore any association between erotomania and dangerousness, and to identify possible predictors.

Method

Files at two in-patient facilities were examined to determine the presence of DSM–III–R delusional disorder, erotomanic type. The sample (13 cases) was divided into dangerous and benign groups on the basis of serious antisocial behaviour directly related to erotomanic delusions. These cases were combined with all reports of erotomania in men (16 cases), found in the English language psychiatric literature, to allow for statistical analysis.

Results

Two factors, multiple delusional objects (P < 0.0005) and serious antisocial behaviour unrelated to the delusions (P < 0.05), were found to be significantly associated with dangerousness. Using a combination of these two variables it was possible to predict dangerousness with an accuracy of 88.9% (weighted prediction accuracy or ‘hit rate’). We identified no false negatives but three false positives.

Conclusions

The presence of multiple objects, and a history of serious antisocial behaviour unrelated to the erotomanic delusions, are useful predictors of dangerous behaviour in men with erotomania.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 166 , Issue 4 , April 1995 , pp. 529 - 536
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1995 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychiatric Association (1987) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edn, revised) DSM–III–R. Washington, DC: APA.Google Scholar
Arap-Mengech, N. K. (1982) Pure erotomania (de Clérambault's syndrome): a case report. East African Medical Journal, 59, 288–290.Google Scholar
Brill, A. A. (1913/1922) Psychoanalysis (3rd edn). Philadelphia: Saunders.Google Scholar
Christodoulou, G. N. (1991) The delusional misidentification syndrome. British Journal of Psychiatry, 159 (suppl. 14), 65–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clarke, J. W. (1990) On Being Mad or Merely Angry: John W. Hinckley, Jr and Other Dangerous People. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
De Clérambault, G. G. (1942) Les psychoses passionelles. In Oeuvre Psychiatrique. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.Google Scholar
Dunlop, J. L. (1988) Does erotomania exist between women? British Journal of Psychiatry, 153, 830–833.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ellis, P. & Mellsop, G. (1985) De Clérambault's syndrome – A nosological entity? British Journal of Psychiatry, 146, 90–95.Google Scholar
Enoch, M. D. & Trethowan, W. H. (1979) De Clérambault's syndrome. In Uncommon Psychiatric Syndromes, 2nd edn (eds M. D. Enoch & W. H. Trethowan). Bristol: John Wright.Google Scholar
Geberth, V. J. (1992) Stalkers. Law & Order, October, 138–143.Google Scholar
Goldstein, R. L. (1987) More forensic romances: De Clérambault's syndrome in men. Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law, 15, 267–274.Google ScholarPubMed
Greyson, B. & Akhtar, S. (1977) Erotomanic delusions in a mentally ill retarded patient. American Journal of Psychiatry, 143, 325–326.Google Scholar
Hunter, R. & MacAlpine, I. (1963) Three Hundred Years of Psychiatry, p. 118. London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Lovett Doust, J. W. & Christie, H. S. (1978) The pathology of love: some clinical variants of de Clérambault's syndrome. Social Science & Medicine, 12, 99–106.Google Scholar
Monahan, J. (1981) Predicting Violent Behaviour: An Assessment of Clinical Techniques. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Munroe, A., O'Brien, J. V. & Ross, D. (1985) Two cases of “pure” or “primary” erotomania successfully treated with pimozide. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 30, 619–622.Google Scholar
Peterson, G. A. & Davis, D. L. (1985) A case of homosexual erotomania. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 46, 448–449.Google ScholarPubMed
Ramos Vicente, Y. M., Gonzales Seijo, J. C. & Martinez, I. L. (1992) De Clérambault's syndrome. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 53, 138–139 (letter).Google Scholar
Rudden, M., Sweeney, J. & Francis, A. (1990) Diagnosis and clinical course of erotomania and other delusional patients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 625–628.Google Scholar
Segal, J. H. (1989) Erotomania revisited; from Kraepelin to DSM–III–R. American Journal of Psychiatry, 146, 1261–1266.Google Scholar
Signer, F. S. (1991) Erotomania. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 36, 237 (letter). Google Scholar
Signer, F. S. & Cummings, J. L. (1987) De Clérambault's syndrome in organic affective disorder, two cases. British Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 404–407.Google Scholar
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (1993) Syntax Reference Guide, Release 6.0. Chicago: SPSS Inc.Google Scholar
Taylor, P., Mahendra, B. & Gunn, J. (1983) Erotomania in males. Psychological Medicine, 13, 645–650.Google Scholar
Wood, B. E. & Poe, R. O. (1990) Diagnosis and classification of erotomania Getter). American Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 1388–1389.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.