Psychopathology of depressive-delusional states with religious content

Smirnova EV, Alekseeva AG, Kopeyko GI, Borisova OA, Gedevani EV, Vladimirova TV, Kaleda VG. Psychopathology of depressive-delusional states with religious content. S.S. Korsakov Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry. 2023;123(11‑2):101‑107. (In Russ.)
https://doi.org/10.17116/jnevro2023123112101

Подписка 2026 Журнал неврологии и психиатрии им. С.С. Корсакова. Спецвыпуски (S.S. Korsakov Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry (special issues))

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OBJECTIVE

Identification of psychopathological characteristics of depressive-delusional states with religious content, development of a typology, determination of formation features, nosological assessment.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 79 patients (47 female, 32 male, mean age 27±6.5 years) with depressive-delusional states with religious content within the affective and schizophrenia spectrum disorders were studied. Clinical-psychopathological, psychometric (PANSS, HDRS, S. Huber CRS) and statistical methods were used.

RESULTS

Based on the psychopathological structure, specific mechanisms of development of delusions and themes of the religious experiences, three types of depressive-delusional states were identified: type 1 — with a predominance of depressive delusions congruent with affect and delusional ideas of guilt, sinfulness, abandonment of God (14 patients, 17.7%; 6 women, 8 men; mean age 28±4.5 years; HDRS score 33±5.6, the total PANSS score 71±5.3, the PANSS positive subscale score 15.8±3.7); type 2 — with the addition of incongruent delusional constructs, persecutory disorders and acute sensory delusions to the existing depressive religious delusion, with the phenomenon of confessional ambivalence (27 patients, 34.2%; 16 women, 11 men; mean age at attack manifestation 25±9 years; HDRS score 29.6±4.4, the total PANSS score 87±6.2, the PANSS positive subscale score 23.5±4.2); type 3 — depressive-paranoid states with a predominance of Kandinsky-Clerambault syndrome of religious content (38 cases, 48.1%; 20 women, 18 men; mean age at attack manifestation 23.4±2.5 years; HDRS score 32.7±3.7, the total PANSS score 102±7.3, the PANSS positive subscale score 32.5±4.5).

CONCLUSION

The study of depressive-delusional states with religious content has shown their clinical-psychopathological heterogeneity. The religious experiences served as a pathoplastic factor, which essentially modified the clinical-psychopathological picture of the disease due to presence of the specific religious phenomena. The identified types of depressive-delusional disorders with religious content had different diagnostic value.

Keywords:

Depressive-delusions of religious content

depressive religious phenomena

psychopathology

mechanisms of delusional formation

Authors:

Smirnova E.V.

Mental Health Research Center

ORCID: 0000-0003-3119-4226

Alekseeva A.G.

Mental Health Research Center

ORCID: 0000-0001-7283-1717

Kopeyko G.I.

Mental Health Research Center

Scopus AuthorID: 6506149368
ResearcherID: M-2029-2013
ORCID: 0000-0002-8580-9890

Borisova O.A.

Mental Health Research Center

ORCID: 0000-0002-7429-7244

Gedevani E.V.

Mental Health Research Center

ORCID: 0000-0001-8829-3191

Vladimirova T.V.

Mental Health Research Center

ORCID: 0000-0002-6972-3560

Kaleda V.G.

Mental Health Research Centre

SPIN RSCI: 9035-3290
Scopus AuthorID: 56765570100
ResearcherID: K-5466-2013
ORCID: 0000-0002-1209-1443

Received:

10.07.2023

Accepted:

12.07.2023

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