Reports of folie a famille are rare; this may be the first reported case
involving a Vietnam veteran. Expression of his paranoid schizophrenia
involved delusions and hallucinations relating to Vietnam, and his wife and
children shared his paranoia. Typical of folie a famille were the dominant
family member, the threat of violence, and the family's social isolation,
frequent crises, and stable membership. Although the veteran's intrusive
recollections of his Vietnam experience were typical of posttraumatic
stress disorder, he acted on rather than avoided them. Treatment focused on
the entire family, partly to minimize future problems in the children.
Abstract Teaser