A CASE OF FOLIE A DEUX IN TWIN SISTERS AND ITS TREATMENT IN A DAY HOSPITAL SETTING
Keywords:
FOLIE A DEUX, TWIN SISTERSAbstract
TWIN SISTERS with a rare psychotic disorder known as Jolie a deux came to our community day hospital. Although the staff was familiar with the treatment of other psychoses, we had not seen this particular shared disorder and the dependency problems which accompanied it before. A special approach had to be devised. We used a thorough consideration of the presenting symptoms and complaints as well as the determined etiology in developing a treatment plan. We decided that a holistic use of our psychological, sociological and biological services was best suited for the treatment of these women and their resulting rapid and successful recovery attested to this. The reader is presented with a brief explanation of Jolie a deux, some intake information, treatment plan formulation and the actual course of treatment including examples of significant changes which took place in the therapy. This case study is presented not only to permit the reader a view into the clinical features and history of Jolie a deux but also to suggest a possible model for the rapid and effective management of cases in which this rare disorder is present.
References
"Beitrag zum Problem des Induzerten Irreseins'', Psych., Neur., Med., Psych., Leipzig, 1959 (Jan), 11: 18-23.
Blodgett, A. C., ''Folie a Deux: A case report with some comments on treatment difficulties'', Psychiatric Opinion 1974 (April), 11 (2), 37-42.
Craike, W. H.; Slater, E., "Folie a Deux in Univular Twins Reared Apart'', Brain, 1945, 68: 213-221.
Evans, Philip; Merskey, Harold, "Shared Beliefs of Dermal Rarasitosis: Folie Partagee", British Journal of Medical Psychology, 1972 (March), 45 (1), 19-29.
Freedman, Alfred; Kaplan, Helen, Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, Baltimore, Williams and Wilkins Company, 1967, pp. 1151-1153.
Freyhan, Fritz A., ''Folie a deux-A Clinical Contribution'', Delaware State Medical Journal, 1952, 24: 191-195.
Harberlandt, W. F. "Contribution to the study of 'Folie a Deux' ' ' , Psyche, 1950, 5:325--343.
Lowen, Alexander, The Betrayal of the Body, Collier Books, New York, 1967, 43-47.
Moreno, J. L., Psychodrama, Beacon House, Inc., Beacon, N.Y., 1972, 179-184.
Moreno, J. L., Who Shall Survive, Beacon House, Inc., Beacon, N.Y., 1953, 83.
Potash, Herbert; Brunnell, Lillian, "Folie a Deux: Some Further Considerations: A Report on Three Cases'', Proceedings of the 81st Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Montreal, Canada, 1973, 8: 509-510.
Potash, Herbert; Brunnell, Lillian, ''Multiple-Conjoint Psychotherapy with Folie a D e x ' , Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 1974 (Fall), 11 (3): 270-276.
Scharfetter, Christian, ''Studies of Heredity in Symbiotic Psychoses'', International Journal of Mental Health, 1972 (Spring), 1: 112-123.
Soni, S. D.; Rockley, G. J., "Socio-Clinical Substrates of Fo/ie a Deux", British Journal of Psychiatry, 1974 (Sept), 25: 230-235.
Spensley, James, ''Folie a Deux with Methylphenidate Psychosis", Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1972 (October), 155 (4): 288-290.
Weeks, Ruth B.; Kelly, Cretchen L., 'Folie a Deux or Not a Deux", Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 1975 (Spring), 5 (3): 131-141.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry, and Group Psychotherapy
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
- NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation.
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.