Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T16:43:52.309Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Pseudocyesis Preceding Psychosis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Ann Mortimer  and
Jo Banbery
Ann Mortimer*
Affiliation:
St James's University Hospital, Leeds
Jo Banbery
Affiliation:
Meanwood Park Hospital, Leeds
*
∗St James's University Hospital, Leeds, LS9 7TF, Yorkshire
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Pseudocyesis is an uncommon condition in which the psychological and somatic phenomena are usually thought to arise with neurotic rather than psychotic illness. We report a patient whose pseudocyesis took a course not previously described, culminating in an acute schizophrenic episode. Despite this she demonstrated many similarities with neurotic patients previously described in the literature. A phenomenological explanation, the belief of pregnancy as an overvalued idea, is discussed.

Type
Brief Reports
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 152 , Issue 4 , April 1988 , pp. 560 - 562
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1988 

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

Ayers, J. W. T. & Seiler, J. C. (1984) Neuroendocrine indices of depression in pseudocyesis, Journal of Reproductive Medicine, 29, 67–70.Google ScholarPubMed
Brenner, B. N. (1976) Pseudocyesis in blacks. South African Medical Journal, 50, 1757.Google ScholarPubMed
Brown, M. & Barglow, P. (1971) Pseudocyesis. A paradigm for psychophysiological interactions. Archives of General Psychiatry, 24, 221–229.Google Scholar
Christodoulou, G. N. (1978) Pseudocyesis. Acta Psychiatrica Belgia, 78, 224–234.Google ScholarPubMed
Cohen, L. M. (1982) A current perspective of pseudocyesis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 139, 1140–1144.Google Scholar
Cramer, B. (1971) Delusion of pregnancy in a girl with drug induced lactation. American Journal of Psychiatry, 127, 136–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Devane, G. W., Vera, M. I., Buhi, W. C. & Kalra, P. S. (1985) Opioid peptides in pseudocyesis. Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 65, 183–188.Google ScholarPubMed
d'Orban, P. T. (1982) Child stealing and pseudocyesis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 141, 196–198.Google Scholar
Evans, D. L. & Seely, T. J. (1984) Pseudocyesis in the male. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 172, 37–40.Google Scholar
Fried, P. H., Rakoff, A. E. & Schopbach, R. R. (1951) Pseudocyesis: a psychosomatic study in gynaecology. Journal of the American Medical Association, 145, 1329–1335.Google Scholar
Goodwin, J. & Harris, D. (1979) Suicide in pregnancy: the Hedda Gabler syndrome. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behaviour, 9, 105–115.Google Scholar
Hardwick, P. J. & Fitzpattuck, C. (1981) Fear, folic and phantom pregnancy: pseudocyesis in a fifteen-year-old girl. British Journal of Psychiatry, 139, 558–560.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McKenna, P. J. (1984) Disorders with overvalued ideas. British Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 579–585.Google Scholar
Murray, J. L. & Abraham, G. E. (1978) Pseudocyesis-a review. Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 51, 627–631.Google Scholar
Osotimetrin, B. O., Ladipo, O. A., Adejuwon, C. A. & Otohorin, E. O. (1981) Pituitary and placental hormone levels in pseudocyesis. International Journal of Obstetrics, 19, 399–402.Google Scholar
Rosenberg, H. K., Coleman, B. G., Croop, J., Granowetter, L. & Evans, A. E. (1983) Pseudocyesis in an adolescent patient. Clinical Paediatrics, 22, 708–712.Google Scholar
Silber, T. J. & Abdalla, W. (1983) Pseudocyesis in adolescent females. Journal of Adolescent Health Care, 4, 109–112.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Starkman, M. N. (1984) Impact of psychodynamic factors on the course and management of patients with pseudocyesis. Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 64, 142–145.Google ScholarPubMed
Starkman, M. N. & Marshall, J. C., La Ferla, J. & Kelch, R. P. (1985) Pseudocyesis: psychologic and neuroendocrine inter-relationships. Psychosomatic Medicine, 47, 46–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steinberg, A., Pastor, N., Winheld, E. B., Segal, H. I., Schechter, M. D. & Colton, N. M. (1946) Psychosomatic Medicine, 8, 176–179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tulandi, T., McInnes, R. A., Mehta, A. & Tolis, G. (1982) Pseudocyesis: pituitary function before and after resolution of symptoms. Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 59, 119–121.Google Scholar
Tulandi, T., McInnes, R. A. & Lal, S. (1983) Altered pituitary hormone secretion in patients with pseudocyesis. Fertility and Sterility, 40, 637–641.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weddington, W. L. & Porter, S. G. (1984) Pseudocyesis following sterilization: role of the pseudo father. Psychosomatics, 25, 563–565.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1978) Mental Disorders: Glossary and Guide to their Classification in Accordance with the Ninth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9). Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
Zuber, T. & Kelly, J. (1984) Pseudocyesis. American Family Physician, 5, 131–134.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.