Suicide associated with the Antichrist delusion.
The Antichrist delusion is a relatively infrequently observed religious delusion. Some cases of the Antichrist delusion have been associated with violence toward others. The aim of this article is to document a case of suicide secondary to the delusion. At age 17 a woman with no history of mental illness developed the belief that she was the Antichrist. For several years she did not discuss this with anyone and functioned appropriately in society. Then, at age 32, after the birth of her first child, her delusion intensified and she ultimately committed suicide to protect others from the harm she felt she was destined to cause them. The Antichrist delusion as a misidentification state may involve danger to a patient who harbors the delusion, as well as to other individuals.
Mental Health Service (11M), G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA. roy.reeves@med.va.gov
Roy R
RR
Reeves
Vincent
V
Liberto
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012563:Schizophrenia, Paranoid / Q000523:psychology*; D013405:Suicide