Cacodemonomania and exorcism in children.
Despite its popularity in the lay media, alleged possession of children by demons has received scant attention in the scientific literature. Five cases are presented. This phenomenon probably represents a variant of folie à deux. A religious consultant may advantageously be included as a member of the treatment team.
D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003291:Conversion Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D003702:Delusions / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009781:Occultism; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012561:Schizophrenia, Childhood / Q000523:psychology; D012563:Schizophrenia, Paranoid / Q000523:psychology; D012753:Shared Paranoid Disorder / Q000523:psychology