Re: covert surveillance

[" Kirk Witherspoon" <kirkwitherspoon@xxxxxxxx>]

Colleagues,

I just read an article by David E. Hall, M.D. et al. entitled:
Evaluation of Covert Video Surveillance in the Diagnosis
of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: Lessons from 41 Cases,
published in Pediatrics, Vol. 105, No. 6, June 2000.  The
authors concluded from this small sample size (considerably
better than anything else reported to date) that hard physical
data are needed to confirm this diagnosis; profile data weren't
discriminative between alleged abusers and nonabusers.

I think it is safe to say that there as yet exists no "profile" or
"indicator list"  that is dispositive re MSBP of that offers
discriminate validity, reliability, etc. (much as is the case re
other types of child abuse).   Physical evidence
seems necessary to make a diagnosis of an abuse
"effect," which is exclusively medical in most instances.
The "cause" can run the gamut of psychological/criminal/
competency spectrums.  Purporting one cause, e.g.,
attention seeking from medical staff, tied to one outcome
seems to run the strong risk of "psychologizing" a medical
problem, "medicalizing" a psychological or criminal behavior,
and creating narrow minded confirmatory bias.   Of course,
researchers and theorists have desired to learn why this
phenomenon occurs; but without strong empirical foundation
for a "profile," advancing it may be worse than misleading
to the extent that it contributes to the very high percentage of
false positives that result from unscientific professionals
running amok with it, in my opinion.

Kirk Witherspoon, Ph.D.
Private Practice
Moline, IL



----- Original Message -----
From: "J. Gregory" <jogregory2000@yahoo.co.uk>
To: "Child Maltreatment Researchers"
<CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu>
Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2000 11:57 AM
Subject: Re: covert surveillance


> Can anyone suggest any decent articles discussing the
> use of covert
> surveillance in suspected Munchausens Syndrome By
> Proxy. I am looking
> particularly for U.K. consideration of the ethical
> issues, although I
> don't rule out totally reports from elsewhere.
> Many thanks,
> Joanne Gregory
>
>
>
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