RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 More Forensic Romances: De Clérambault's Syndrome in Men
JF Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online
JO J Am Acad Psychiatry Law
FD American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
SP 267
OP 274
VO 15
IS 3
A1 Goldstein, Robert Lloyd
YR 1987
UL http://jaapl.org/content/15/3/267.abstract
AB De Clérambault's syndrome (erotomania) has invariably been regarded as a female disorder (with male victims); however, a number of recent reports describe male patients with the disorder, especially in violence-prone male offender populations. Seven cases are presented of violence-prone men suffering from the disorder, including Hinckley and Poddar. The syndrome is discussed from a nosological point of view and in terms of its impact on competency to stand trial. Psychiatrists should be aware that the syndrome is not a rarity among men, as previously thought, and that proper diagnosis and management are essential in view of the clinical course of the disorder and the potential for violence when the patient's “love” is persistently unrequited by the delusional love object.