Behavioral Characteristics in Delusional Pregnancy: A Matched Control Group Study

Abstract

Objective: False pregnancy or delusional pregnancy, is the condition of believing one is pregnant despite factual evidence to the contrary. This is the first study to utilize a standardized mental disorder assessment tool, The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) to evaluate a group of women with delusional pregnancy compared to a group of controls. Method: Eleven-women with delusional pregnancy (DP) were compared to a control group matched for age, race and DSM-IV psychiatric diagnosis. All patients were receiving care in a state psychiatric hospital setting. Results: Compared to matched controls, women with DP had significantly higher levels of hostility ( p < .05), higher rates of prescribed polypharmacy ( p < .05) and a trend toward higher antipsychotic medication dosages ( t = 1.48, df = 20, p = .08). These findings may be suggestive of greater resistance to treatment in women with DP. Conclusions: Biologic and psychotherapeutic treatment interventions for women with DP may need to address factors of hostility and treatment resistance. Preliminary treatment issues include selection of specific categories of psychotropic agents, as well as psychotherapies that are cognitive and lead to modification of belief paradigm.