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

This article focuses on the co-occurrence of Capgras syndrome (CS)—a delusional belief that a familiar person has been replaced by an impostor—and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in children, presenting two pediatric cases treated at an inpatient psychiatric unit. Both children exhibited severe delusions involving their parents, alongside OCD symptoms and other psychiatric manifestations such as depression and catatonia. The treatment combined antipsychotic and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications with a novel gradual exposure therapy to the misidentified parents, accompanied by parental training, resulting in significant clinical improvement. This study highlights the rarity of CS with OCD in children and suggests that integrating behavioral therapies with pharmacological treatment may offer a promising approach, warranting further research into exposure-based interventions for pediatric CS.