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Psychosis precipitated by marriage: A culture‐bound syndrome?
Author(s) -
Fisch Robert Z.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
british journal of medical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.102
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 2044-8341
pISSN - 0007-1129
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8341.1992.tb01719.x
Subject(s) - judaism , psychosis , vulnerability (computing) , psychiatry , psychology , mental illness , jewish culture , phenomenon , mental health , theology , philosophy , computer security , epistemology , computer science
A retrospective study of 258 psychiatric out‐patients in Jerusalem compared 122 patients from an ultra‐orthodox Jewish community with 136 other Jewish patients. It was found that six patients who had a psychosis within a month of marriage all belonged to the ultra‐orthodox community. The possible links between cultural and educational practice in the ultra‐orthodox community and the vulnerability to the stress of marriage are discussed. It seems feasible to regard the precipitation of major mental illness by marriage as a largely culture‐bound phenomenon.