title: Delusional theme, sex and age.
abstract: In a retrospective study of 865 delusional syndromes, connections were investigated between delusional themes and the sex of patients, and the ages in which these themes extensively occurred. According to previous reports, the results of this investigation indicated that differences exist between the ages of manifestation regarding the themes of hypochondria, persecution, love and jealously. Furthermore, differences could be observed between males and females in relation to the frequency of choice of particular themes, as well as the age of occurrence. Based on psychological studies concerned with the content's dependence on motives we conclude that the age distribution of delusional themes corresponds to the main existential concerns in different life periods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Musalek
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Katschnig
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003702:Delusions / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006998:Hypochondriasis / Q000523:psychology; D007578:Jealousy; D008016:Life Change Events; D008149:Love; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010258:Paranoid Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors