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PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL, CRIMINOLOGICAL AND MEDICOLEGAL CONSIDERATIONS CONCERNING COMMUNICABLE MADNESS

NCJ Number
64441
Journal
RASSEGNA DI CRIMINOLOGIA Volume: 6 Issue: 1-2 Dated: (1975) Pages: 141-163
Author(s)
O A GRECO; N POLI
Date Published
1975
Length
23 pages
Annotation
THE PHENOMENON OF 'PSYCHOSIS BY ASSOCIATION' OR 'INDUCED PSYCHOSIS' IS OF INTEREST TO FORENSIC PSYCHIATRISTS FOR ITS CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY RAMIFICATIONS, BUT EXPERTS ARE STILL IN DISAGREEMENT AS TO ITS CONCEPTUAL VALIDITY.
Abstract
GENERALLY 'PSYCHOSIS BY ASSOCIATION' REFERS TO THE SITUATION IN WHICH AN UNUSUALLY STRONG-WILLED INDIVIDUAL SUFFERING FROM A CLINICALLY DIAGNOSED PSYCHOSIS 'INFECTS' ONE OR MORE WEAKER-WILLED PERSONS, WHOM THE PSYCHOTIC INDIVIDUAL IS CLOSELY AND CONSTANTLY ASSOCIATED, WITH HIS OR HER PARANOID INDIVIDUAL IS CLOSELY ACCUSES OF SCHEMING AND PLOTTING AGAINST HIS OR HER REPUTATION, PROPERTY, AND PERSON, TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT MURDER IS THE GUISE OF SELF-PROPERTY, AND PERSON, TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT MURDER IN THE GUISE OF PRESERVATION APPEARS AS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. THE WEAKER-WILLED INDIVIDUALS 'INFECTED' BY THE PSYCHOTIC CAN THUS EASILY BECOME ACCESSORIES TO A CRIME; WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN CONSIDERED LEGALLY INSANE AND INCOMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL DEPENDS ON THE VALIDITY OF THE 'PSYCHOSIS BY ASSOCIATION' HYPOTHESIS. SUPPORT FOR THIS THEORY CAN BE SEEN; THE CASE HISTORY OF A STRONG-WILLED, PARANOID WOMAN, WHO 'INFECTED' HER WEAKER-WILLED SIBLINGS (A BROTHER AND A SISTER LIVING WITH HER) WITH THE DELUSION THAT THEY WERE THE OBJECTS OF ACTIVE PERSECUTION BY THEIR NEIGHBORS, TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY HAD TO BE DECLARED A PUBLIC DANGER AND COMMITTED ALL TOGETHER TO A MENTAL HOSPITAL (ALTHOUGH ONLY ONE SISTER WAS CLINICALLY PSYCHOTIC AND THE TWO SIBLINGS SHOWED NO ACTUAL SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS. A COMPREHENSIVE INTERNATIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. --IN ITALIAN. (LGR)