Characteristics:
(1) The presence of a situation generating strong emotions (death, loss, strife, etc.).
(2) The primary delusion is developed by a strong-willed individual of a group.
(3) Other members of the group share the same delusion (folie partage) because of:
(3a) domination by the strong-willed person
(3b) excessive devotion or misplaced loyalty
(3c) excessive desire to maintain harmony in the group
(4) The delusion may last from a few weeks to many years.
(5) The delusion is maintained despite the absence of objective data.
The shared delusion may involve a variety of conditions, such as parasitic infestation (delusional parasitosis). The group may visit many physicians or other health care providers.
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Number of People Involved
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Term
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2
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folie a deux
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3
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folie a trois
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4
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folie a quatre
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5
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folie a cinq
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6
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folie a six
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