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Related Experiment Videos

Beyond secondary gain.

J J van Egmond1

  • 1Ambulant Care, Stichting Adhesie GGZ Midden-Overijssel, Netherlands, j.vanegmond@adhesie.nl

American Journal of Psychoanalysis
|June 17, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Seeking external rewards can unconsciously worsen illness symptoms. This phenomenon, linked to the need to be ill, explains why some patients experience deterioration despite societal support systems.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychoanalysis

Background:

  • Freud's theory on resistance suggests a link between the need for punishment and the need for illness.
  • Modern societal structures offer support and regulations conducive to illness behavior.

Observation:

  • Individuals consciously seeking external gains from illness may experience heightened subjective symptoms.
  • This unconscious process can lead to an exacerbation of illness and deterioration.

Findings:

  • A conscious desire for external illness gain can trigger unconscious psychological mechanisms.
  • The concept of 'the need to be ill' explains how external rewards can intensify illness experiences.
  • Patients may unknowingly experience worsening health due to these unconscious motivations.

Implications:

  • Understanding this mechanism is crucial for effective patient treatment and therapeutic interventions.
  • It highlights the complex interplay between conscious motivations and unconscious psychological processes in health.
  • Further research into illness behavior and external reward systems is warranted.

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