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Delusional disorder–jealous type: how inclusive are the DSM–IV diagnostic criteria?
Author(s) -
Easton Judith A.,
Shackelford Todd K.,
Schipper Lucas D.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.20442
Subject(s) - jealousy , delusional disorder , psychology , delusion , psychiatry , clinical psychology , psychotherapist , psychosis
Delusional disorder–jealous type is a new diagnostic category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision ( DSM‐IV‐TR ; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) in which delusions concerning a partner's infidelity must be present. Therefore, patients who experience a jealousy disorder, but do not experience delusions will not fit the diagnostic criteria. Using a database of 398 case histories of jealousy disorders reported in the literature from 1940–2002, we examined the percentage of these cases that met the diagnostic criteria for delusional disorder–jealous type. Only 4% of the cases met all diagnostic criteria. This is the first systematic comparison of the prevalence of these disorders. The results provide evidence that the diagnostic criteria are not inclusive, as most individuals suffering with a jealousy disorder were excluded from the diagnosis. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 64: 1–12, 2008.