BMJ  2003;326:1092 (17 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7398.1092

reviews

Book

Whiplash and Other Useful Illnesses

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Andrew Malleson observes that "victimhood can bring much gratification." As he indicates, the high social status currently accorded to the victim is an important factor in the rise of "dissimulating disorders," in which patients present chronic physical symptoms for which no organic cause can be found.

American psychiatry recognises three categories of these disorders: malingering, factitious disorders, and somatoform disorders. Malingering is where symptoms are intentionally produced with the aim of securing tangible benefits. The problem is the difficulty of distinguishing malingering from factitious disorders, in which symptoms are intentionally produced but where there is no apparent external incentive and the motivation seems to be unconscious. These conditions are in turn difficult to distinguish from somatoform disorders, in which both symptoms and motivation appear to arise from unconscious processes. As Malleson observes, perhaps the essential . . . [Full text of this article]

Hackney, London fitz@easynet.co.uk

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

"auto collision" victims deserve justice

Douglas J Carnall
bmj.com, 16 May 2003 [Full text]

Hysteria and other useful excuses

Gurli Bagnall
bmj.com, 16 May 2003 [Full text]

"Useful illnesses"

Derek J Stanley
bmj.com, 17 May 2003 [Full text]

Malleson, Fitzpatrick and the insurance industry

Gurli Bagnall
bmj.com, 18 May 2003 [Full text]

WHIPLASH IS THORACIC OUTLET SYNDROME

Carlos A. Selmonosky,MD
bmj.com, 21 May 2003 [Full text]

Book review "Whiplash and Other Useful Illnesses"; competing interests.

Derek J Stanley
bmj.com, 22 May 2003 [Full text]

No auto-insurance gold

Michael J Fitzpatrick
bmj.com, 24 May 2003 [Full text]

"Useful illnesses"

Corinne A Rees
bmj.com, 6 Jun 2003 [Full text]