[Medea syndrome: the sadistic fate of impaired mourning of love].
This work investigated the Medea syndrome, an harassment behaviour endorsed from a spouse suppressing access to children from his partner. The Medea myth adds a psychopathological background to the Parental Children Alienation construct focusing on using children to inflict a revenge, sadistic mourning of love, return of sacrificial rites associated with realm of primitive superego figures among people with severe personality disorder confronting traumatic love. The clinical, diagnostic and legal aspects of the disorder will be presented as well as a range of treatment strategies allowing valuable medical decision. Overall, the Medea syndrome appears to be an extremely destructive reaction with major negative impact on both children and adults. New law roles should be introduced to discourage such behaviour and improve victims protection.
Service de psychiatrie de liaison et d'intervention de crise, HUG, 1211 Genève 14. antonio.andreoli@hcuge.ch
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Andreoli
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D006801:Humans; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012448:Sadism / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D013577:Syndrome
Le syndrome de Médée, parcours sadique de la perte d'amour.