A close relationship, dependence, isolation, and highly overlapping delusional content.
Relational or shared symptoms
Shared or induced delusional symptoms
In a close, isolated relationship or group, one person’s fixed beliefs can become adopted or reinforced by another person. Contemporary classification focuses on each person’s symptoms while preserving the relational context in the clinical formulation.
How the theme may appear
Espionage, surveillance, or mission content in this pattern
A couple, family, or online group may mutually elaborate beliefs about surveillance, agents, poisoning, digital tracking, or a joint mission, creating a closed loop with little outside correction.
Content is not diagnosis
The words “CIA,” “spyware,” “handler,” “coded message,” “AI mission,” or “government investigation” do not identify a disorder by themselves. Clinicians examine the form of the belief, associated symptoms, functional change, evidence, and course.
Clinical clues
Patterns a clinician may explore
These are prompts for assessment, not criteria you should apply to yourself or another person.
One person’s symptoms or narrative clearly began first, although reinforcement can become bidirectional.
The secondary person’s conviction may weaken when interviewed or supported separately, but this is not guaranteed.
Coercive control and fearful compliance must be distinguished from genuine internalization of a belief.
Do not wait
Seek urgent help when
- Children, dependent adults, weapons, barricading, retaliation, refusal of essential care, or escalating confrontation require prompt safeguarding and clinical assessment.
- Separation should be planned by qualified professionals when safety, capacity, or legal rights are involved.
Questions that distinguish causes
What a thorough assessment may ask
- Separate interviews
- Timeline of who developed symptoms first
- Isolation and dependency
- Independent psychotic or medical symptoms
- Coercion, abuse, and safeguarding
Helpful direction
Care steps commonly worth discussing
- Assess each person separately, including independent symptoms, coercion, dependence, substance use, cognition, and safety.
- Restore contact with trusted people and outside sources of information without humiliating either person.
- Treat the primary psychiatric or medical conditions present in each individual.
- Use planned separation or different care settings only with attention to autonomy, attachment, safeguarding, and risk.
Reduce escalation
What can make the situation worse
- Treating the secondary person as gullible, dishonest, or infected by another person.
- Assuming agreement between two people proves the claim is true or proves both are psychotic.
- Ignoring domestic abuse, coercive control, child safety, or vulnerable-adult safeguarding concerns.
Continue with the next task
Related site guides
Supporting someone
Use communication that respects distress without arguing with or confirming an unverified claim.
Open guide →Prepare for an assessment
Build a precise timeline of onset, sleep, mood, experiences, substances, medicines, physical symptoms, AI use, and safety.
Open guide →Possible causes and clinical assessment
See why one theme can arise from several different psychiatric, medical, or substance-related causes.
Open guide →Urgent help
Use crisis and emergency guidance when there is immediate danger, severe self-neglect, or inability to stay safe.
Open guide →
External starting points
Browse resource packs
Trusted resources related to Shared psychosis
Helping someone experiencing psychosis
Mind
Practical guidance for friends and family.
Family members and caregivers
NAMI
Guidance and programs for family members and caregivers.
LEAP Institute
LEAP Institute
Communication training focused on listening, empathy, agreement, and partnership.
Technological folie à deux
PubMed Central
Conceptual paper on feedback loops between AI systems and vulnerable users.
Resources for Caregivers
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Federal guidance for caregivers supporting a child, young person, or family member with mental-health needs.
Mental Health First Aid Guidelines for Psychosis
Mental Health First Aid Australia
Downloadable consensus guidance on recognizing psychosis and offering first aid while arranging professional support.
Note: This is guidance for first aid, not a substitute for clinical assessment.