It has been three years since Muntaha and Asif got married. Both are professionals in the workforce. Their relationship was going well initially, but Asif has been unjustly suspicious and has been closely observing Muntaha after she gets home from work.
Because he thinks she is cheating on him and spending time with someone else, he keeps checking her phone. Asif constantly searches through her social media accounts and cell phone based solely on these concerns. Daily quarrels and arguments have become common, and eventually, Asif even becomes physically abusive towards Muntaha.
He refuses to attend any social or family gatherings and does not allow Muntaha to go either. If she does go, he watches her closely, not letting her speak to anyone. This behavior causes distance between them and their families. Gradually, Asif isolates himself from both family and friends. He cannot sleep properly at night, and his work performance declines sharply because he often leaves his office to follow Muntaha to her workplace.
“No matter what you do, you will never be able to prove to me that you truly love me.”
— The story of Muntaha and Asif
Meanwhile, Muntaha becomes increasingly mentally distressed due to Asif’s abnormal behavior. As the distance with their families grows, she has no one to share her problems with. After nearly two years of enduring this, she finally decides to get a divorce. Thus, their five-year marriage comes to an end.
Many couples in our community continue to have such unreasonable suspicions of one another. Their daily relationship gradually becomes more strained and complicated, yet they fail to realize that this behavior is abnormal. In psychology, this condition is known as pathological jealousy or unhealthy suspicion toward one’s partner.
What is Pathological Jealousy?
Pathological jealousy, also known as morbid jealousy or Othello syndrome, is a psychological disorder characterized by persistent, unfounded, and often delusional beliefs about a romantic partner’s infidelity. Pathological jealousy is an irrational and excessive form of suspicion.
It is a type of cognitive distortion in which a person harbors abnormal distrust and unfounded suspicions about their partner’s loyalty. Usually, this results from relationship insecurity, low self-esteem, or underlying mental health problems.
The difference between normal suspicion and pathological jealousy is that:
Normal suspicion occurs based on realistic context and reasoning and subsides when evidence is found.
Pathological suspicion is irrational, persistent, and negatively impacts mental health.
It is a problem that can affect both men and women. Whoever the person may be, they continuously suspect their partner of betrayal or being sexually involved with someone else without any valid reason. Most of the time, these suspicions are completely unfounded and represent a cognitive distortion.
The exact cause is difficult to pinpoint, but it has been found that those suffering from this problem often have other mental health conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, bipolar mood disorder, behavioral disorders, or some form of addiction.
Research Findings
Studies have shown that pathological jealousy is most commonly seen in people aged between 28 and 77 years.
One study found that about 10% of young adults displayed suspicious thoughts about their partners, even though they did not exhibit symptoms of other mental illnesses (Marazziti et al., 2003).
Abnormal suspiciousness can cause significant psychological distress and increases the risk of violence, including homicide and suicide (Almeida Leite et al., 2016).
The prevalence of pathological jealousy in the population is estimated to be about 0.5–1%. It affects both men and women, though some studies have found a higher prevalence among men (Soyka & Schmidt, 2011).
The condition is more common in the elderly population and is usually associated with low self-esteem and excessive dependence on a romantic partner (Seeman, 2016).
Effects of Pathological Jealousy in Daily Life
Pathological jealousy deeply affects various aspects of a person’s daily life, disrupting their personal, professional, social, family, and spiritual life. The behavioral problems arising from this interfere with living a healthy, balanced life. These include:
1. Effects on Relationships
Decline of trust: Excessive suspicion damages the foundation of the relationship.
Emotional distress
Loneliness
Divorce or separation—destructive effects on relationships
2. Effects on Mental Health
Anxiety and excessive suspiciousness
Depression
3. Effects on Workplace
Lack of concentration
Reduced work performance
Conflicts with colleagues
Job loss
4. Effects on Social Life
Social isolation
Conflicts, disputes, and separation from friends and family
Risk of violence such as murder, assault, or suicide
Problems with the law due to violent or unlawful behavior
5. Effects on Physical Health
Various physical complications such as high blood pressure and heart disease
Smoking and drug use
Other addictions
Real-World Illustration
Arian was struggling with drug addiction. After dating for two years, he and his partner got married. Soon after, his wife began to suspect him of infidelity when she noticed calls from both men and women on his business phone.
These suspicions led to frequent arguments and family unrest, causing their relationship to deteriorate over time. After ten difficult years, Arian decided to file for divorce.
Following the separation, Arian experienced severe mental distress. His business suffered significant losses, and he fell into deep depression, which worsened his drug addiction, turning him into a full-time addict. Eventually, he sought treatment and learned about pathological jealousy.
He reflected that if he had understood this condition earlier, he might have helped his wife receive treatment and possibly saved both his marriage and his well-being.
Social Importance
Numerous families are torn apart, and many violent and suicidal incidents arise because of this issue. Yet, due to a lack of awareness, these situations are frequently overlooked or simply attributed to extramarital affairs.
Therefore, I call upon the relevant authorities, police, social organizations, law enforcement, and human rights groups to pay attention to this issue. It needs to be examined carefully rather than blaming one side.
It is important to ask whether the incident is actually a case of pathological jealousy. Doing so could save many families and lives and significantly reduce social disorder. Furthermore, research on the prevalence and incidence of this illness is insufficient.
To identify and prevent the harmful symptoms of this disorder, adequate literature and awareness campaigns are necessary.
References
Oxford. (n.d.). Shorter-oxford-textbook-of-psychiatry-7th-edition. Retrieved August 11, 2025, from http://archive.org/details/shorter-oxford-textbook-of-psychiatry-7th-edition
Almeida Leite, R., Conde, E., Queirós Santos, T., Almeida, M., Azevedo Santos, T., & Mesquita Figueiredo, A. (2016). Obsessive Versus Delusional Jealousy: Destruction in a Form of Creation – A Review. European Psychiatry, 33(S1), S531–S531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.1966
Pathological Jealousy: An Interactive Condition: Psychiatry: Vol 79 , No 4—Get Access. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2025, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00332747.2016.1175838
Soyka, M., & Schmidt, P. (2011). Prevalence of Delusional Jealousy in Psychiatric Disorders*. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 56(2), 450–452. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01664