A combined tropical medicine and psychiatry approach to patients with possible delusional infestation

Squire, Bertie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7173-9038, Taegtmeyer, Miriam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5377-2536, Javed, Q, O'Dempsey, Tim ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9596-9687, Kullu, C and Lepping, P (2024) 'A combined tropical medicine and psychiatry approach to patients with possible delusional infestation'. Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. (In Press)

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Abstract

Background
Delusional infestation (DI) is a well-recognized delusional disorder presenting as the persisting belief of being infested. Combined clinics have been run by dermatology and psychiatry in a small number of centres. In this article we focus on our Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust clinic hosted at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK, where we run a specialist clinic for DI.

Methods
We describe the specific set-up and approach of our clinic as a guide for clinicians working in specialties likely to see patients with DI (including tropical medicine, infectious diseases and dermatology) who may either want to set up similar clinics or be better equipped to manage DI patients promptly within existing practice.

Results
We describe the details of the clinic's approach. Between 2018 and 2023, the service saw 208 patients, of which 82.7% could be assessed and 55.7% had DI. The female:male ratio was 2:1.

Conclusion
Interdisciplinary combined clinics with medical and psychiatry consultants working together offer an approach to managing this rare, challenging and high-consequence condition.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	WA Public Health > Health Problems of Special Population Groups > WA 305 Mental health of special population groups WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 900 Ectoparasitic infestations, disinfestation (General) WM Psychiatry > WM 140 Mental disorders (General)
Faculty: Department:	Clinical Sciences & International Health > Clinical Sciences Department
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/trae054
SWORD Depositor:	JISC Pubrouter
Depositing User:	JISC Pubrouter
Date Deposited:	03 Oct 2024 09:26
Last Modified:	03 Oct 2024 09:26
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/25330

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