Feigned Bereavement: Twelve Cases
- 1 July 1978
- journal article
- case report
- Published by Royal College of Psychiatrists in The British Journal of Psychiatry
- Vol. 133 (1), 15-19
- https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.133.1.15
Abstract
Summary: Twelve patients who feigned bereavement are described. Most appeared depressed on admission, and in over half bereavement was erroneously believed by staff to be an important cause of their depression. This type of behaviour, leading to admission to hospital, may be regarded as abnormal illness behaviour, and reasons are given for considering most of the cases as variants of the Münchausen syndrome. Motivation for these deceptions is discussed, and reference is made to features which might arouse suspicion that bereavement is feigned.Keywords
This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:
- Pseudo-Malingering and Leonid Andreyev's “The Dilemma”Psychiatric Quarterly, 1970
- Abnormal illness behaviourPsychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 1969
- Effects of Bereavement on Physical and Mental Health--a Study of the Medical Records of WidowsBMJ, 1964