Secondary Gain in Long-Term Hemodialysis Patients
DANIEL A. DANSAK M.D.1
1 Career Service Resident, Psychiatry Service, Veterans Administration Hospital, 50 Irving St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20422
Patients on long-term hemodialysis are subjected to many psychological and social stresses. However, through the mechanism of secondary gain, such patients may obtain certain gratifications that they refuse to relinquish. The author presents two case reports that demonstrate various secondary gains and discusses the complications they presented to a hemodialysis unit.
