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Munchausen syndrome by adult proxy: a perpetrator abusing two adults
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
|November 1, 1986
Abstract:
We present a case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MBP) in a symbiotic relationship between a 34-year-old man and his two female partners. In the past, MBP has only been identified in mother-child relationships. The present case, however, extends the syndrome to relationships between adults as well.
Insights
Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MBP) is typically seen in mother-child relationships. This case study reveals a unique instance of MBP occurring in a symbiotic adult relationship between a man and his two female partners.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MBP) traditionally involves a caregiver fabricating or inducing illness in a dependent individual, typically a child.
- Previous literature has predominantly documented MBP within maternal caregiver-child dynamics.
Observation:
- This case study details an unusual presentation of MBP within an adult, symbiotic relationship.
- The individuals involved included a 34-year-old man and his two female partners.
Findings:
- The findings indicate that Munchausen syndrome by proxy can manifest beyond the typical caregiver-child dynamic.
- This case extends the understanding of MBP to complex adult relationships.
Implications:
- This expands the diagnostic scope for Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
- Clinicians should consider MBP in diverse relationship structures, not solely in parent-child dyads.
- Further research is needed to explore the dynamics of MBP in non-traditional relationship configurations.
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