Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) are rare neurological disorders which are complex and difficult to diagnose. Although neurological manifestations are the main clinical presentation of these syndromes, in many cases the initial symptoms are psychiatric disturbances. Limbic encephalitis is the most common paraneoplastic syndrome that occurs in the presence of ovarian teratoma, and it appears as psychiatric disorder. It usually presents with behavioural changes, agitation, hallucinations, dilution, disorientation, memory deficits and generalized seizures. The diagnosis of limbic encephalitis depends on the clinical picture, the neuroimaging evaluation and the detection of paraneoplastic antibodies. In recent years anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis was described in women with severe neuropsychiatric syndrome and ovarian teratoma. In this article we review the current literature on psychiatric symptoms as a paraneoplastic manifestation in women with ovarian teratoma, underlying these psychiatric manifestations, the neuroimaging investigations, the presence of paraneoplastic antibodies, the treatment and outcome. We also highlight the need for psychiatrists to be aware of the initial manifestations of paraneoplastic disorders and to include these syndromes in the differential diagnosis of a wide range of patients.