Citation

Bouchard JP, Brulin-Solignac D, De Jésus A, Floris E, Quillerou B, Lodetti C, Soulan X. Ann. Med. Psychol. (Paris) 2018; 176(7): 702-711.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Societe Medico-Psychologique, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.amp.2018.06.001

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

"Are you threatening to kill me?", asks the psychiatrist. "It's not a threat, it's a promise!", replies the paranoiac patient. In just a few short words, this exchange raises the issue of a dangerous, potentially homicidal nature linked to paranoia. This mental disorder is such that it severely complicates interpersonal relationships. Its mechanisms and delusional themes often cause paranoiac individuals - male or female - to have difficult, tense, conflictual and even violent relationships both inside and outside of the family. These difficult relationships can sometimes lead to serious non-lethal attacks or, more exceptionally, single or multiple homicides that have frequent precursory warning signs. The motives for homicides committed by paranoiacs are linked to the themes of their delusions: persecution, prejudice, jealousy, filiation, erotomania, betrayal, etc. The therapeutic alliance, frequently difficult to set up and maintain, makes healthcare treatment difficult for dangerous paranoiac individuals. Ideally, this treatment is based on two key approaches: medicinal treatment and psychotherapy. When these people are not considered to be criminally responsible for the acts that they have committed they are forced to receive care. © 2018

Language: en

Keywords

Prevention; jealousy; violence; Homicide; homicide; Suicide; psychotherapy; disease association; mental health care; health care delivery; paranoia; criminal behavior; doctor patient relation; delirium; Delusion; Acting out; Paranoia; Article; persecutory delusion; prejudice; Serial killer; Dangerousness; Mass murderer