[Sensitive delusion of reference--only of historical significance? A current case example]

In 1918, Ernst Kretschmer published the monograph "Der Sensitive Beziehungswahn" [The Sensitive Delusion of Reference], one of his most important contributions to psychiatry. It reflects the lively discussion on psychogenic psychoses that was going on at the turn of the century. An actual case is used to demonstrate that even today the "sensitive delusion of reference" can be clearly delimited as a distinct syndrome. On the basis of the current literature, possible reasons for the fact that this diagnosis is relatively rarely made today are discussed. The sensitive delusion of reference is also an example of socio-cultural change in psychiatric diagnosis.