Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-31T14:41:09.415Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Munchausen Syndrome and its Symbolic Significance: An In-depth Case Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

A. Cremona-Barbaro
A. Cremona-Barbaro*
Affiliation:
Wexham Park Hospital, Slough, Berks SL2 4HL
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

The ‘gains' of Munchausen syndrome cannot readily be understood on a rational level, and are presumed to be intra-psychic. The presenting fabrications often follow a remarkably similar pattern, and some psychodynamic insight might be gained by analysis of the general themes and contents. The case of one typical patient is reported here, and the aetiology and symbolic significance discussed.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 151 , Issue 1 , July 1987 , pp. 76 - 79
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Asher, R. (1951) Munchausen's syndrome. The Lancet, 1, 339–341.Google Scholar
Berney, T. P. (1973) A review of the simulated illness. South African Medical Journal, 47, 429–434.Google Scholar
Blackwell, P. (1968) The Munchausen syndrome. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 1, 98–102.Google Scholar
Cramer, B., Gershberg, M. R. & Stern, M. (1971) Munchausen syndrome: its relationship to malingering hysteria and the physician-patient relationship. Archives of General Psychiatry, 24, 573–578.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Deutsch, H. (1955) The imposter contribution to ego psychology of a type of psychopath. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 24, 483–505.Google Scholar
Donnington, R. (1963) Wagner's 'Ring and its Symbols. London: Faber & Faber.Google Scholar
Enoch, M. D. & Trethowan, W. H. (1979) Some Uncommon Psychiatric Syndromes. Bristol: Wright.Google Scholar
Henderson, S. (1974) Care eliciting behaviour in man. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 159, 172–181.Google Scholar
Ireland, P., Sapira, J. D. & Templeton, B. (1967) Munchausen's syndrome. American Journal of Medicine, 43, 579.Google Scholar
Justus, P. G., Kreutziger, M. S. W. & Craks, S. K. (1980) Probing the dynamics of Munchausen's syndrome. Annuals of Internal Medicine, 93, 120–127.Google Scholar
Mechanic, D. (1962) The concept of illness behaviour. Journal of Chronic Disease, 15, 189–194.Google Scholar
Menninger, K. (1934) Polysurgery and polysurgical addiction. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 3, 173–199.Google Scholar
Menninger, K. (1938) Man Against Himself London: Harrap.Google Scholar
O'Shea, B., McGennb, A., Cahill, M. & Falvey, J. (1984) Munchausen's syndrome. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 31, 4.Google ScholarPubMed
Parsons, T. (1981) The Social System. Glencoe: The Free Press.Google Scholar
Reed, J. L. (1978) Compensation neurosis and Munchausen's syndrome. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 19.Google Scholar
Snowden, J., Solomons, R. & Druce, H. (1978) Feigned bereavement: twelve cases. British Journal of Psychiatry, 133, 15–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spiro, H. R. (1968) Chronic factitious illness. Archives of General Psychiatry, 18, 569.Google Scholar
Szasz, T. S. (1961) The Myth of Mental Illness. New York: Hoeber Medical Division.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.