Internet-related Delusional Disorder
摘要
Objective: We report a case of internet-related delusional disorder and review the psychiatric literature of 16 reported cases from 1997 to 2005. Case report: This 18-year-old female student claimed that her virtual boyfriend who she had never met suddenly lost contact and that another internet acquaintance had sent messages relating the suicide of her boyfriend, his parents and grandparents. The delusion was also associated with major depressive episode. The internet-related delusion and depressive disorder showed good response to combined treatment by pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy in four weeks. Conclusion: The present case and our review of the literature suggest that the internet can have specific influences on the etiology, form and implications for the management of delusional disorders. Internet-related delusion, just like internet addiction may represent a novel form of psychopathology.