Possession states: approaches to clinical evaluation and classification.
The fields of anthropology and sociology have produced a large quantity of literature on possession states, physicians however rarely report on such phenomena. As a result clinical description of possession states has suffered, even though these states may be more common and less deviant than supposed. Both ICD-10 and DSM-IV may include specific criteria for possession disorders. The authors briefly review Western notions about possession and kindred states and present guidelines for evaluation and classification.
Erich Lindemann Mental Health Center, Freedom Trail Clinic, 25 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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McCormick
Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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Goff
Clinical classification; Possession disorders; Therapeutic guidelines