[Prison psychosis and dissociative disorders].

Through a few clinical case histories stemming from their daily activities at the psychiatric section of the Lantin Prison, the authors propose to revisit the classic concept of Prison psychosis. They broaden its limits to include other psychotic and dissociative phenomena common to the jail population. This requires a strict differential diagnosis, allowing to eliminate some similar pathologies; nevertheless, some difficulties and imperfections persist. The development of the psychosis, the input from the jail architecture and milieu, the predisposing as well as facilitating factors linked to the personality of the inmate, and triggering phenomena are discussed. Finally, the comorbidity between these psychotic/dissociative phenomena and the borderline & histrionic personality disorders is envisaged.