Harm to self
Suicidal thoughts are common in morbid jealousy, especially because of its association with depression and substance abuse. Risk to others
Violence can occur in any relationship tainted with jealousy, either normal or morbid jealousy. In a recent study of jealousy by Mullen & Martin in 1994, 15% of both men and women reported that at some time they had been “subjected to physical violence at the hands of a jealous partner.” Culturally, jealousy may be even used to “justify violence towards partners.” Victims in a homicide case are most likely to be current or ex-partners in both female and male perpetrators. When a partner repeatedly denies infidelity, this may provoke anger and extreme violence. On the other hand, the partner that is suffering may give up and give a false confession, which in turn most likely will provoke rage in the jealous individual. In the U.S. a sample was taken of 20 participants with delusional jealousy. 19 were male and Silva (1998) found that 13 had threatened to kill their spouse because of their perceived infidelity. Of the 13 males, nine actually attacked their spouse. Out of the 20, a weapon was used by three of them, and 12 had harmed their spouse. A presence of paranoid delusions and hallucinations of injury to the spouse were most often associated with violence. This suggests that individuals that suffer from delusional jealousy that partake in violence may be solely driven by psychotic phenomena. A higher risk of assault was associated with alcohol consumption.
Extreme obsessions: much time is taken up by jealous concerns, and there is a great difficulty in putting the concerns out of the mind. Impairment of the relationship, limitation of the partners freedom and checking on the partners behavior may occur. Although a distinction was occasionally difficult to make, the categories of ‘psychotic’ (delusional) and ‘neurotic’ jealousy contained similar proportions (each between one-third and one-half). Delusions: the individuals own thoughts are egosyntonic; they are regarded as true, and not resisted. Some authors compare morbid jealousy to a delusional state (e.g. Enoch & Trethowan, 1979). Beliefs may include the morbidly jealous subjects suspicion that: 1. he or she is being poisoned or given some substance(s) to decrease sexual potency by the partner, 2. that the partner has contracted a sexually transmitted disease from a third party 3. is engaging in sexual intercourse with a third party while the subject sleeps. Causes
Psychological
There are many psychological causes that go along with morbid jealousy. Some people equate morbid jealousy with a delusional state. “Delusions of infidelity exist without any other psychopathology and may be considered to be morbid jealousy in its ‘purest’ form” (Kingham and Gordon). For morbid jealousy to occur ones memories are subconsciously changed and their partners actions are misinterpreted as well to the extent that the person is absolutely convinced of betrayal from the partner. It is thought that even some brain disorders might eventually lead to delusions of betrayal.