Citation

Easton JA, Shackelford TK, Schipper LD. J. Clin. Psychol. (Hoboken) 2008; 64(3): 264-275.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA. jeaston1@mail.utexas.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/jclp.20442

PMID

18257054

Abstract

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.

Language: en