Incubus Syndrome: A Case Series and Review of Literature.
Sandeep Grover, Aseem Mehra
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine May 1, 2018 DOI: 10.4103/ijpsym.ijpsym_218_17 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case series Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 4 |
| Population | Female patients with schizophrenia |
| Intervention | Antipsychotics |
| Keywords | Schizophrenia Cultural beliefs Incubus |
| Key findings | The authors describe four women with schizophrenia who reported delusional beliefs of being sexually approached by an unseen person, a phenomenon they term "incubus syndrome," and who responded well to antipsychotic treatment. A literature review found only five prior reports describing six cases, most in the context of schizophrenia, suggesting the phenomenon is rare and often linked to schizophrenia. |
Abstract
Incubus syndrome, characterized by delusional belief in female patients of being sexually approached by an unforeseen person, is rarely described in literature and description has been limited to isolated case reports. We describe four patients with schizophrenia, who reported the phenomenon of incubus and responded well to treatment with antipsychotics. A review of literature yielded five reports (describing six cases), most of which were described in the context of schizophrenia.
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- The devil molested me: A case series of incubus syndrome from North India. Industrial Psychiatry Journal July 1, 2022
- Unusual cases of succubus: A cultural phenomenon manifesting as part of psychopathology. Industrial Psychiatry Journal 2018
- The Diagnostic Spectrum of Sexual Hallucinations. Harvard Review of Psychiatry