Co-existence of Capgras syndrome and OCD in children: Case studies

Abstract

IntroductionCapgras syndrome (CS) is characterized by the delusional belief that a person, usually a close relative, has been replaced by an imposter. This study focuses on the co-occurrence of CS and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in children.MethodsWe present two cases of children diagnosed with CS and OCD treated at our inpatient child psychiatric unit.Cases presentationWe describe the cases of an 11-year-old male who believed his parents were demonic entities and a 12-year-old female who believed her parents were robots. Both children exhibited additional psychiatric manifestations such as depression, catatonia, obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms, persecutory delusions, reduced food intake, and suicidal ideation. Our treatment approach combines antipsychotic medication, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and gradual exposure therapy accompanied by parent training, has yielded favorable outcomes in managing the patients' psychiatric symptoms.Discussion and ConclusionWe provide insights into CS with comorbid OCD in children and discuss the behavioral treatment approach employed in our cases. We also discuss similar cases of CS comorbid with OCD from the English literature.