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Artefactual Illness to Attract Medical Attention

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Michael W. P. Carney
Michael W. P. Carney*
Affiliation:
Northwick Park Hospital and Clinical Research Centre, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3UJ
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Summary

This paper describes 35 patients whose artefactual illness gained them admittance to hospital. The 15 wanderers were more likely than the 20 non-wanderers to have been in more than 10 hospitals, possessed histories exceeding 10 years, presented with abdominal or psychiatric complaints, volunteered poor work records and displayed psychopathic traits. The non-wanderers were more likely than the wanderers to possess socially conformist personalities. Twenty-six patients had severe sexual/marital problems. Neither group attended well for psychiatric follow up appointments.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 136 , Issue 6 , June 1980 , pp. 542 - 547
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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