Psychoses occurring in a father and his two daughters

Summary

Elmira was subjected to the dominance of her grandmother who allowed her very little liberty and restricted her social life. A very strong mutual attachment developed between Elmira and her father. The mental illness of her sister, Dorothy, apparently precipitated Elmira's mental upset. She had a residence in Kings Park State Hospital, admitted there her attachment for her father and dramatized her conflict regarding it by means of his photograph which she carried with her and shich she could not decide whether to keep or to destroy. She recovered from her upset, was discharged and then married very suddenly, because as she stated herself her home life was unsatisfactory. Apparently marriage to her, as to her sister, Dorothy, was the means of escape. The presence of typical manic symptoms, elation, flight of ideas, distractibility, overactivity with recovery and the history of a previous attack with recovery of a manic episode indicate the diagnosis of manic-depressive psychosis; manic type. Nevertheless some schizophrenic features were present in addition as evidenced in the ideation. The prognosis seems more uncertain than in the case of Dorothy.