Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-xxrs7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-26T18:16:53.969Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Disorders with Overvalued Ideas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

P.J. McKenna*
Affiliation:
Long Island Jewish—Hillside Medical Center, Glen Oaks, New York 11004, USA

Summary

The overvalued idea, first described by Wernicke, refers to a solitary, abnormal belief that is neither delusional nor obsessional in nature, but which is preoccupying to the extent of dominating the sufferer's life. Disorders conforming to his definition are well documented, though their recognition as such has been variable, and they may not be as rare as is often thought. As well as sharing a distinctive phenomenology, the conditions develop in similar settings and carry a uniformly poor prognosis. Their pathogenesis is obscure and difficult to account for in conventional terms.

Type
Review Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1984 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Andersen, A. E. (1977) Atypical anorexia nervosa. In Anorexia Nervosa (ed Vigersky, R. A.). New York: Raven Press.Google Scholar
Andreasen, N. C. & Bardach, J. (1977) Dysmorhophobia: symptom or disease? American Journal of Psychiatry, 134, 673–6.Google ScholarPubMed
Bebbington, P. E. (1976) Monosymptomatic hypochondriasis, abnormal illness behaviour and suicide. British Journal of Psychiatry, 128, 475–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
British Medical Journal (1978) Dysmorphophobia. British Medical Journal, 2, 588.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bruch, H. (1962) Perceptual and conceptual disturbances in anorexia nervosa. Psychosomatic Medicine, 24, 187–94.Google Scholar
Button, E. J., Fransella, F. & Slade, P. D. (1977) A reappraisal of the body image disturbance in anorexia nervosa. Psychological Medicine, 7, 235–43.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cantwell, D. P., Sturzenberger, S., Burroughs, J., Salkin, B. & Green, J. K. (1977) Anorexia nervosa: an affective disorder? Archives of General Psychiatry, 34, 1087–93.Google Scholar
Climo, L. H. (1982) Anorexia nervosa associated with hypothalamic tumor: the search for clinical-pathological correlations. Psychiatric Journal of the University of Ottawa, 7, 20–5.Google ScholarPubMed
Cobb, J. (1979) Morbid jealousy. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 21, 511–8.Google ScholarPubMed
Connolly, F. H. & Gipson, M. (1978) Dysmorphophobia —a long term study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 132, 568–70.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crisp, A. H. (1980) Anorexia Nervosa: Let Me Be. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Crisp, A. H. & Kalucy, R. S. (1974) Aspects of the perceptual disorder in anorexia nervosa. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 47, 349–61.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dally, P. (1969) Anorexia Nervosa. London: Heinemann.Google Scholar
Enoch, M. D. & Trethowan, W. H. (1979) Uncommon Psychiatric Syndromes, 2nd Edition, Bristol: John Wright.Google Scholar
Ey, H. (1954) Etudes Psychiatriques, Volume II. Paris: Desclée.Google Scholar
Fabricant, N. D. (1960) Thirteen Famous Patients. Philadelphia: Charles E. Chilton.Google Scholar
Hamilton, M. (1974) Fish's Clinical Psychopathology. Bristol: John Wright.Google Scholar
Hamilton, M. (1976) Fish's Schizophrenia. Bristol: John Wright.Google Scholar
Hamilton, M. (1978) Fish's Outline of Psychiatry, 3rd Edition. Bristol: John Wright.Google Scholar
Hay, G. G. (1970) Dysmorphophobia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 116, 399406.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Henne, M. (1955) L'hypocondrie à travers les âges. Histoires Médécins, 5, 527.Google Scholar
Heron, G. & Johnston, D. (1976) Hypothalamic tumor presenting as anorexia nervosa. American Journal of Psychiatry, 133, 580–2.Google Scholar
Hopkinson, G. (1973) The psychiatric syndrome of infestation. Psychiatria Clinica, 6, 330–45.Google ScholarPubMed
Hsu, L. K.G., Meltzer, E. S. & Crisp, A. H. (1981) Schizophrenia and anorexia nervosa. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 169, 273–6.Google ScholarPubMed
Hsu, L. K.G. (1983) Follow up studies of anorexia nervosa: a review. Psychological Medicine, 13, 231–9.Google Scholar
Huxley, P. J., Kenna, J. C. & Brandon, S. C. (1981) Partnership in transsexualism. Part II: the nature of the partnership. Archives of Sexual Behaviour, 10, 143–60.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jaspers, K. (1959) General Psychopathology. Translated 1963 by Hoenig, J. and Hamilton, M. W. Manchester: Manchester University Press.Google Scholar
Kay, D. W. K. & Leigh, D. (1954) The natural history, treatment and prognosis of anorexia nervosa, based on a study of 38 patients. Journal of Mental Science, 100, 411–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kay, D. W. K. & Schapira, K. (1972) Psychiatric observations on anorexia. In Advances in Psychosomatic Medicine 7 (ed Reichsman, F.). Basel: Karger.Google Scholar
Kenyon, F. E. (1964) Hypochondriasis: a clinical study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 110, 478–88.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kenyon, F. E. (1976) Hypochondriacal states. British Journal of Psychiatry, 129, 114.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kolle, K. (1932) Uber Eifersucht und Eifersuchtswahn bei Trinkern. Monatsschrift fur Psychiatrie und Neurologie, 83, 224–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kraepelin, E. (1905) Lectures on Clinical Psychiatry, Third English Edition. Translated 1917 by Johnstone, T. New York: W. Wood.Google Scholar
Kraepelin, E. (1907) Clinical Psychiatry, 7th Edition. Translated 1915 by Diefendorf, A. R. New York/London: McMillan.Google Scholar
Kraepelin, E. (1913) Manic Depressive Insanity and Paranoia. Translated 1921 by Barclay, R. M. Edinburgh: E. S. Livingstone.Google Scholar
Kreitman, N., Sainsbury, P., Pearce, K. & Costain, W. R. (1965) Hypochondriasis and depression in outpatients at a general hospital. British Journal of Psychiatry, 111, 607–15.Google Scholar
Ladee, G. A. (1966) Hypochondriacal Syndromes. Amsterdam/London/New York: Elsevier.Google Scholar
Langfeldt, A. (1961) The erotic jealousy syndrome: a clinical study. Acta Psychiatrica et Neurologica Scandinavica, Suppl. 151.Google Scholar
Lewin, K., Mattingly, D. & Millis, P. (1972) Anorexia nervosa associated with hypothalamic tumour. British Medical Journal, 2, 629–30.Google Scholar
Lewis, A. (1970) Paranoia and paranoid: a historical perspective. Psychological Medicine, 1, 212.Google Scholar
Lishman, W. A. (1978) Organic Psychiatry. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Lucas, C. J., Sainsbury, P. & Collins, J. G. (1962) A social and clinical study of delusions in schizophrenia. Journal of Mental Science, 108, 747–58.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maddocks, P. D. (1970) A five year follow up of untreated psychopaths. British Journal of Psychiatry, 116, 511–5.Google Scholar
Mairet, A. (1908) La Jalousie: Etude Psycho-physiologique, Clinique et Medico-Legale. Paris: Masson et cie.Google Scholar
Mayer Gross, W., Slater, E. & Roth, M. (1969) Clinical Psychiatry, Third Edition. London: Baillière, Tindall & Cassell.Google Scholar
Mayou, R. (1976) The nature of bodily symptoms. British Journal of Psychiatry, 129, 5560.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Merskey, H. (1979) The Analysis of Hysteria. London/Sydney: Baillière Tindall.Google Scholar
Mooney, H. B. (1965) Pathologic jealousy and psychochemotherapy. British Journal of Psychiatry, 111, 1023–42.Google Scholar
Mowat, R. R. (1966) Morbid Jealousy and Murder. London: Tavistock.Google Scholar
Munro, A. (1980) Monosymptomatic hypochondriacal psychosis. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 24, 34–8.Google ScholarPubMed
Pickering, G. (1974) Creative Malady. New York/London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Pilowsky, I. (1967) Dimensions of hypochondriasis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 113, 8993.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pilowsky, I. (1970) Primary and secondary hypochondriasis. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 46, 273–85.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Salkind, M. R., Fincham, J. & Silverstone, T. (1980) Is anorexia nervosa a phobic disorder? A psychophysio-. logical enquiry. Biological Psychiatry, 15, 803–8.Google Scholar
Shepherd, M. (1961) Morbid jealousy: some clinical and social aspects of a psychiatric symptom. Journal of Mental Science, 107, 687753.Google Scholar
Skott, A. (1978) Delusions of Infestation. Dermatozoenwahn — Ekbom's Syndrome. Reports from the Psychiatric Research Centre, St Jorgen Hospital, University of Goteberg, Sweden, No. 13.Google Scholar
Smart, D. E., Beumont, P. J. V. & George, G. C. W. (1976) Some personality characteristics of patients with anorexia nervosa. British Journal of Psychiatry, 128, 5760.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Todd, J. & Dewhurst, K. (1955) The Othello syndrome: a study in the psychopathology of sexual jealousy. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 122, 367–74.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weller, R. A. & Weller, E. B. (1982) Anorexia nervosa in a patient with an infiltrating tumor of the hypothalamus. American Journal of Psychiatry, 139, 824–5.Google Scholar
Wernicke, C. (1900) Grundriss der Psychiatric Leipzig: Verlag von Georg Thieme.Google Scholar
White, J. H., Kelly, P. & Dorman, K. (1977) Clinical picture of anorexia nervosa associated with hypothalamic tumor. American Journal of Psychiatry, 134, 323–5.Google Scholar
Winokur, G. (1977) Delusional disorder (paranoia). Comprehensive Psychiatry, 18, 511–21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.