Hospital Hopper
Münchausen syndrome is a factitious disorder in which a person produces or lies about physical symptoms for sympathy and attention (Prakash, Das, Srivastava, Patra, Khan, & Shashikumar, 2014, para 1). There is another form of this disorder called Münchausen by proxy where the person will lie and produce symptoms in another who is under their care, such as a dog, an elderly person, or a child (Münchausen syndrome by proxy, 2013, para 4). They may go as far as to cause harm to another, all to gain attention from medical staff. This is considered a form of abuse.
Both Münchausen syndrome and Münchausen by proxy are rarely diagnosed because it is difficult to tell if symptoms are real or fake. Medical staff must be very observant …show more content…
It is estimated that approximately 1% of patients in a hospital suffer from this (Diseases & Conditions, 2014, para 9). Münchausen syndrome affects more men than women, however Münchausen by proxy is more commonly seen in women (Criddle, 2010, para 4). Specific causes of the disorder are unknown, but abuse or neglect as a child can certainly cause one to develop this syndrome (Diseases & Conditions, 2014, para 8). A parent who suffers from Münchausen by proxy can cause their child to grow up to have Münchausen syndrome (Münchausen syndrome by proxy, 2013, para 2). Cases have also been shown where a person had suffered a past illness where they were hospitalized, and after overcoming their illness, developed this syndrome (Diseases & Conditions, 2014, para 8). It can be a vicious and dangerous cycle if not detected by a medical professional. The only treatment for this disorder is a form of behavioral therapy and even then, recovery isn 't guaranteed as therapy only works for certain people (Mucha, Varghese, French, & Shade, 2014, para 22). For our study, we created a 15 question survey in order to assess public knowledge and perception about Münchausen syndrome by proxy as well as mental illnesses in general. Then, a link of the described survey was posted on social media sites. After a week, we received 51 responses from people who varied drastically in age. As the responses were reviewed, we found that the results were quite
Münchausen syndrome is a factitious disorder in which a person produces or lies about physical symptoms for sympathy and attention (Prakash, Das, Srivastava, Patra, Khan, & Shashikumar, 2014, para 1). There is another form of this disorder called Münchausen by proxy where the person will lie and produce symptoms in another who is under their care, such as a dog, an elderly person, or a child (Münchausen syndrome by proxy, 2013, para 4). They may go as far as to cause harm to another, all to gain attention from medical staff. This is considered a form of abuse.
Both Münchausen syndrome and Münchausen by proxy are rarely diagnosed because it is difficult to tell if symptoms are real or fake. Medical staff must be very observant …show more content…
It is estimated that approximately 1% of patients in a hospital suffer from this (Diseases & Conditions, 2014, para 9). Münchausen syndrome affects more men than women, however Münchausen by proxy is more commonly seen in women (Criddle, 2010, para 4). Specific causes of the disorder are unknown, but abuse or neglect as a child can certainly cause one to develop this syndrome (Diseases & Conditions, 2014, para 8). A parent who suffers from Münchausen by proxy can cause their child to grow up to have Münchausen syndrome (Münchausen syndrome by proxy, 2013, para 2). Cases have also been shown where a person had suffered a past illness where they were hospitalized, and after overcoming their illness, developed this syndrome (Diseases & Conditions, 2014, para 8). It can be a vicious and dangerous cycle if not detected by a medical professional. The only treatment for this disorder is a form of behavioral therapy and even then, recovery isn 't guaranteed as therapy only works for certain people (Mucha, Varghese, French, & Shade, 2014, para 22). For our study, we created a 15 question survey in order to assess public knowledge and perception about Münchausen syndrome by proxy as well as mental illnesses in general. Then, a link of the described survey was posted on social media sites. After a week, we received 51 responses from people who varied drastically in age. As the responses were reviewed, we found that the results were quite