When Consent Limits Care: Managing Shared Psychosis (Folie à Famille) under Mental Healthcare Act 2017 – A Case Report and a Brief Review of Literature

This case report presents a rare manifestation of shared psychotic disorder (folie à famille) involving a former intelligence agency employee and his nuclear family, all sharing elaborate delusions of governmental surveillance. The primary patient, a middle-aged male with paranoid delusions about intelligence agencies conducting illegal surveillance, successfully transmitted these beliefs to his parents and sibling over a 5–7-year period. The family’s gradual social isolation, behavioral changes and collective adherence to the delusional system exemplify the complex dynamics of induced delusional disorders within family units. Despite attempted pharmacological intervention with risperidone, the family refused hospitalization and was subsequently lost to follow-up, highlighting the significant treatment challenges in managing folie à famille cases.