WHAT EXPLAINS THE "KIDNAPPED" TAKORADI "PREGNANT" WOMAN'S DRAMATIC BEHAVIOUR?

Predictably,  public reactions and counter reactions towards media reportage on the  alleged kidnapping story of the self acclaimed  pregnant Takoradi woman, Josephine Mensah have been chaotic in every passing day, making many observers  more worried and confused. As a concern citizen and Clinical Health Psychologist whose professional duty is to OBSERVE, PREDICT, and MODIFY deviant human behaviours, I wish to share my humble professional opinion on this endless controversial issue which currently gets everybody talking in a "direction less" fashion. 

From where I sit, there are three things in the current ongoing debate that need to be determined namely PSEUDOCYESIS, MALINGERING or REALITY in terms of Josephine Mensah's pregnancy plus her kidnapping. Case closed !!!

For the avoidance of doubt, I will like to be as simple as a "P1 teacher" in this lesser known difficult field of psychology so that at the end of my analysis, all and sundry would appreciate the issues better.

 Carrying a pregnancy especially, in our part of the world is usually an exciting experience for expectant parents. However, in rare cases, some women believe they are pregnant only to find out that their symptoms were caused not by pregnancy but by something else.

To hit the nail on the head, False Pregnancy, clinically termed PSEUDOCYESIS, is the belief  you are expecting a baby when you are not really carrying a child in your womb. People with PSEUDOCYESIS have many symptoms of pregnancy with the exception of an actual fetus.

The big question is, what causes PSEUDOCYESIS?

Although the exact causes of False Pregnancy or PSEUDOCYESIS are still speculative, psychological factors including intense desire to get pregnant which may be due to infertility, repeat miscarriages, impending menopause, or a desire to get married may trick the body into producing some pregnancy signs such as interruption of mensuration, a swollen belly, enlarged breasts, and even the sensation of fetal movement. The woman's brain then misinterprets these signals as pregnancy and triggers the release of hormones such as estrogen and prolactin that lead to actual pregnancy symptoms.

Some researchers opined that  poverty, lack of education, childhood sexual abuse, or relationship problems might play a role in triggering False Pregnancy or PSEUDOCYESIS.

When women believe they are pregnant, it can be upsetting for them to learn that they are not. It is important for professionals to gently break the news and provide psychological support including therapy, to help patients with PSEUDOCYESIS recover from their disappointment.

Note, having a false pregnancy is not the same as claiming to be pregnant for a benefit, or having delusions of pregnancy such as in parents with schizophrenia.

Furthermore, having explained how Josephine Mensah's behaviour could have been influenced by the psychological condition referred to as False Pregnancy or PSEUDOCYESIS, let me now turn my spotlight on  "MALINGERING"

The "doubting Thomases" may ask, " what is MALINGERING? "

Malingering simply refers to producing false medical symptoms or exaggerating existing symptoms in hopes of being rewarded in some way. Ironically, MALINGERING is not a psychiatric disorder and also very different from mental health conditions like somatic system disorder, which causes people to worry that they have a medical condition even if all evidence proved otherwise.

What causes MALINGERING?

Malingering is not caused by any physical factors. It is the result of someone's desire to gain a reward or avoid something. Malingering is often accompanied by real mood and personality disorders such as ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER or MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER.

How is it diagnosed?

MALINGERING is  a medical diagnosis but not a psychological condition. It is often hard to diagnose because doctors do not want to overlook any real physical or psychological conditions. Diagnosis involves a thorough physical exam and open ended interview to get an idea of victim's overall physical and mental health.A doctor may also try to get a timeline of any behavioural, emotional, or social events. Follow-up exam may be done to check for inconsistencies between someone's description of their symptoms and what the doctor finds during an examination.

If it is established that someone is likely malingering, they may reach out to their other doctors, family members, friends, or coworkers for more information about victim's situation.

Recently, psychologists use a wide variety of approaches, including the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2nd version (MMPI-2) among other tools to detect MALINGERING.

In conclusion, human behaviour is really complex and sometimes, unpredictable and hence in situations like these we need to pull the "brakes" and seek professional opinion/intervention. 

My humble appeal is that part of our energy and power of the state  currently being applied on unraveling the mystery of Josephine's  pregnancy claims MUST also be channeled on unraveling the  authenticity of her alleged kidnapping since the mysterious disappearance of the "Taadi Girls" is still fresh in our minds !!! 

Psychology Hour: Change starts from the mind !!!

David Banaaleh ( Clinical Health Psychologist & Author, "Suicide not the Answer").