Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP) is a psychological problem where a caregiver exaggerates a patient’s condition under treatment so that doctors and nurses can attend. It happens when the caretaker feels that their close friends or family members are not getting adequate medical care. In most cases. MSBP happens to children and older people because the groups may not be able to express their conditions clearly. According to psychologists, MSBP is abused because it leads to the wrong administration of drugs and therapies, leading to the deterioration of conditions. This paper argues that MSBP is a psychological problem by discussing causes, diagnosis, and prevention.
MSBP can be diagnosed if a medical practitioner suspects the strange behavior of the caregiver. For instance, it can be evident if the affected person shows cooperation to a significant number of medical attentions undertaken to their patient. There is no specific cause of MSBP, but research shows that people who suffer from these conditions may be as a result of depression due to family obligations. Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy can be prevented by close monitoring of the patient so that caregivers do not get a chance to raise exaggerations. Treatment for MSBP may be challenging as the affected individuals usually deny it. It requires cognitive-behavioral theory to help MSBP-affected people avoid factors that contribute to the psychological problem.
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP) is a psychological health problem whereby a caregiver exaggerates or fakes an illness or any harm in a patient under care, such as children, elderly people, and people with disabilities. The purpose of exaggerating the illness is purposely intended to get the patient’s healthcare professional’s attention. As per the definition, it affects mostly vulnerable groups such as children (Abdurrachid & Marques, 2020). MSBP is a form of abuse to the groups because the caregivers may give a wrong impression about the victim’s symptoms (“The facts about Munchausen by proxy syndrome,” 2018). Additionally, they alter the test results to make the person appear unwell and physically harm the child or adult to make the symptoms visible to the intended parties. The paper covers elements such as the cause of MSBP, its effects on the victims, and the possible preventive and curative measures for the syndrome.
Diagnosis of MSBP can be in various ways, after which a trend may show something is not adding up. First, the signs that a person has Munchausen syndrome by proxy are if the individual is very friendly and cooperative with the process and shows concern frequently about the patients (Abeln & Love, 2018). Additionally, if the victim has a history of frequent admissions to hospitals with strange symptoms, it might sign their caregivers suffering from this syndrome. Another way to test the disorder is if the patient’s reported situation does not coincide with the test results (Gherman et al., 2016). For example, blood in laboratory tests may not resemble the blood of the patient. If doctors realize the issues mentioned above, it can help in diagnosing MSBP. In some cases, children are reported to have severe injuries and may die due to the caregivers’ inappropriate actions (Gherman et al., 2016). The problem with MSBP is that it subjects the vulnerable groups to getting painful medical procedures that they may not need at that time.
The specific cause of MSBP is not clear, but medical researchers look at the biological and psychological factors that lead to its development. According to the theories based on child abuse, MSBP is caused by a history of abuse or neglect when one was a child, and the early loss of a parent may contribute significantly to the development of MSBP (Gherman et al., 2016). The evidence that many scholars have presented relating to MSBP is major stress triggered by social life, such as depression as a result of marital issues. Diagnosing MSBP can be difficult due to the dishonesty weaknesses that may arise (Abdurrachid & Marques, 2020). For example, doctors may conclude any feasible physical illness as the reason behind the victim’s symptoms before diagnosing MSBP (Abeln & Love, 2018). Therefore, if the indicators’ physical cause is not clear, a thorough analysis of the medical history of the affected group may provide insights that suggest possible MSBP.
The effects of MSBP on the victim can have adverse outcomes based on the exaggeration that the caregiver presented. Those who perpetrate the issue produce symptoms that lead to multiple doctor appointments, admissions to hospitals, wrong diagnoses, and unnecessary medical actions to the victim (Abeln & Love, 2018). That leads to immediate harm to the people who suffer from the psychological disorder. When a victim of incorrect drug and medical procedure administration is affected severely, it leads to a potential permanent effect on their health (Gherman et al., 2016). One of the most terrible effects of MSBP is the fact that it may lead to death. Since it mainly affects groups that cannot express themselves effectively, offering incorrect drugs for an illness that is not present to the victims leads to the side effects that may trigger life loss.
Research suggests that cases of MSBP are evident in many healthcare-providing institutions in the world. About 10% of people die due to the syndrome’s effect (Abdurrachid & Marques, 2020). In other situations, the person affected by the psychological problem may learn to relate having attention to being ill, which may develop the Munchausen syndrome in their minds. Lastly, there might be a poor relationship quality between the healthcare providers and caregivers when MSBP is diagnosed (Romito, 2020). This is because the person suffering from the syndrome will have more expectations towards their patients, while doctors will appear to be reluctant on the issue. Therefore, if the two parties do not tally their expectations, collisions in the form of unwanted discourses may appear in healthcare facilities.
Munchausen syndrome by proxy can be prevented by ensuring the safety and protection of potential victims’ potential victims. For example, it may call for a child to be closely monitored by the healthcare professionals so that any exaggerated condition will not appear valid (Abeln & Love, 2018). According to the reports by healthcare professionals in the world, the management of cases that involve MSBP may need a team that consists of social workers, foster care firms, doctors, and legal enforcers.
It is difficult to treat people who have this problem because they mostly deny the existence of such a problem. For a successful treatment, there is a need to depend on telling the truth, and therefore, people with MSBP appear to be accomplished deceivers as they may start telling the issue from a fictional point of view (Krucik, 2017). However, treatment by forms of counseling such as psychotherapy can be applicable. The reason is that it emphasizes changing the thinking and habits of the person with the disorder. Specifically, it is important to apply cognitive behavioral therapy, which can transform the person with the syndrome. The main objective of having the therapy is to allow the person with MSBP to identify factors that contribute to the behavior (Abeln & Love, 2018). In that way, they may learn to start relationships that are not connected with illness.
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy involves caregivers who fake the conditions of their loved ones for unnecessary medical attention. The research paper has shown that children, elderly people, and persons with disabilities. In most cases, the victims may receive medical attention that is not required, leading to adverse effects such as death. About 10% of patients affected by the actions as a result of MSBP are reported to die (Krucik, 2017). Doctors can ascertain the likelihood of the claims made by MSBP individuals by comparing the medical records that the victim has and also checking the health history of the same party. The syndrome can be prevented by close monitoring of the patient. Although treatment for MSBP can be challenging, cognitive-behavioral theory can assist the patient in avoiding factors that lead to the disorder.
References
Abdurrachid, N., & Marques, J. (2020). Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP): A review regarding perpetrators of factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA). CNS Spectrums, 4(3), 1-11.
Abeln, B., & Love, R. (2018). An overview of Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Nursing Clinics of North America, 53(3), 375-384.
Gherman, L., Ciobanu, A., Căpraru, N., Mihăilescu, A., & Gâză, L. (2016). The chaos involved in Münchausen syndrome and Münchausen syndrome by proxy. European Psychiatry, 33(S1), 637.
Krucik, G. (2017). Munchausen syndrome by proxy: Causes, symptoms, and diagnosis. Healthline. Web.
Romito, K. (2020). Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Michigan medicine.
The facts about Munchausen by proxy syndrome. (2018). Newport Academy.