Delusional procreation syndrome: A psychopathology in procreation of human beings☆

Abstract 

The content of delusions in delusional syndrome has fascinated psychiatrists from antiquity. Delusions are classified on different principles such as, degree of inexplicability, subverted mental function, degree of independent nosological status, and on thematic content (traditional and logical). Delusions in sequence of procreation in three cases of schizophrenia along related delusions in published literatures are described under the broad rubric of term “delusional procreational syndrome” (DPS) (in the model of delusional misidentification syndrome), based on “logical thematic content” in the sequential phases of procreation. The DPS consists of numbers of delusions such as ‘delusion of having spouse’, ‘delusion of pregnancy’, ‘delusion of delivery (child birth and labour)’, ‘delusion of being parents (paternity/maternity)’ and so on. Authors also reviewed published literatures on these delusions. Though the concept of DPS is fascinating, further studies are needed to validate the concept of DPS.

Keywords: Delusional procreation syndrome, Psychopathology of procreation, Delusion of pregnancy