That some therapists engage in sexual misconduct with patients has been
unequivocally established. In recent years, however, some patients'
allegations of sexual misconduct have been determined to be false. This
paper describes four cases in which hospitalized psychiatric patients made
false allegations. Such allegations may result from patients' seeking to
gain monetarily or in other ways or from a desire for retaliation or
revenge against a clinician who they believe has scorned, abandoned, or
otherwise mistreated them. In other cases, especially among patients with a
history of severe trauma, a patient's psychopathology may be inadvertently
stimulated by diagnostic, treatment, or milieu activities. The authors
recommend specific institutional responses to allegations of sexual
misconduct, such as forming a clinical investigative team, conducting a
physical examination, and reporting the charge to outside agencies or
investigators when appropriate. Because false claims can have disastrous
effects on all involved, clinicians should understand the presentations of
such claims and the motivations behind them, and institutions should
carefully develop a set of procedures for responding to them.
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