Delusional infestation: the case for improved mental state testing

Abstract

Objectives: Delusional infestation may present as a primary disorder or secondary to another disorder (e.g. schizophrenia). In this report we focus on the issue of inadequacies in mental state examinations leading to diagnostic uncertainty.

Methods: Case studies were identified for this review through searching the academic databases MedLine, PSYCInfo and PubMed. We developed a template that contained 36 headings and independently examined each case study report. Our percentage agreement for the first 42 case studies we reviewed was 91%.

Results: We identified diagnostic uncertainty due to inadequacies in the reporting of mental state examinations.

Conclusions: Clinicians need to provide mental state information to an adequate standard that would allow confirmation of a diagnosis of delusions of infestation or exclude other possibilities.

Keywords: case studies; delusional infestation; diagnosis; mental state examinations.