title: Faith, folie à famille, and mummification: a brief review of the literature and a rare case report.
abstract: Folie à deux is a rare clinical syndrome characterized by the transference of delusional ideas from one person to one or more other people in close association with the primary affected patient. Mummification indicates the preservation of the corpse of a person for a variable period of time. A brief review of the literature in this field is presented, and an exceptional case is described, characterized by the association of both these rare phenomena. The case is an example of folie à fammille which developed out of a condition of extreme religiousness and seclusion of an entire family. The shared psychosis led to the horrible death of some of the family members, while the last surviving member of the family lived for more than a year and a half with their mummified remains. The Judge commissioned a forensic psychiatry assessment to verify the survivor's ability to bear witness. The development of the psychiatric syndrome and its consequences are extensively discussed.
authors.affiliation: Section of Criminology and Forensic Psychiatry, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Catanesi
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Punzi
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Biagio
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Solarino
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Vella
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D009106:Mummies; D012067:Religion; D012753:Shared Paranoid Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D012934:Social Isolation
keywords: belief; faith healing; folie à trois; forensic science; mummification; seclusion; shared paranoid disorder