Synonyms in a broader sense
- Deprivation syndrome
- Hospitalization syndrome
- Kaspar Hauser Syndrome
- Anaclitic Depression
Hospitalism is the totality of the psychological and physical negative consequences that a deprivation of care and stimuli (= deprivation) can have on a patient. These typically occur in children who are still in an important phase of their physical, emotional and linguistic development. This condition was given the name “hospitalism” because it was first described in children who had been in homes and hospitals (= hospital) for a long period of time.
However, this disorder can also occur in older people who have been in isolation for a long time, e.g. through solitary confinement. Besides the mostly synonymously used psychic hospitalism, there is the so-called infectious hospitalism, i.e. diseases caused by nursing and medical neglect. Especially in hospitals and nursing homes, patients and nursing staff often do not get the attention they need (hospitalism).
The staff is sometimes overworked, cannot and does not want to take much time for the individual. In the past, people were not sufficiently aware of the fact that it was not enough to cover basic needs, and even today, it is sometimes necessary to remind people that care must be part of the nursing process, especially for children. After all, the development of children contains so-called sensitive phases in which certain basic things have to be achieved, such as bonding with a steady reference person.
If this does not happen, attachment disorders develop which can accompany the patient throughout his or her life. The same applies to the development of language and social skills. The lack of stimuli can also lead to hospitalism, as occurs during prolonged stays in dark and soundproof rooms.
Especially a lack of movement (e.g. a plaster cast) can also become problematic. Here the symptoms of mental and physical hospitalism are presented. Since physical hospitalism is the increased occurrence of certain infectious diseases in hospitals, the symptoms correspond to those of the respective diseases.
The symptoms of mental hospitalism are more uniform. Basically, one can distinguish between physical and mental impairments. Both are based on delayed or incorrect development.
Physical symptoms include emaciation (usually caused by a lack of appetite), infectious diseases due to weakened immune system, compulsive repetitive movements (so-called stereotypes) or slowed growth. Psychologically, it comes to various speech disorders, depression, apathy (i.e. apathy) and intellectual decline. In some cases this goes so far that the patients develop regressively, i.e. behave like much younger children, just as if they had forgotten everything again.
Dealing with such children is of course particularly demanding. They feel the frustration of the environment as rejection and retreat even further. A vicious circle develops.
In the same way, social skills are damaged. Children are reluctant to trust strangers and their relationship with relatives, especially parents, can deteriorate. The symptoms may partially recede or continue and even worsen.
Personality disorders can develop, such as a borderline disorder. A famous example of mental hospitalism, which has become a synonym, is the foundling Kaspar Hauser. He was found in Nuremberg at the beginning of the 19th century.
He showed all of the symptoms mentioned above in the highest degree of severity, probably because he spent the first 16 years of his life locked up in a dark dungeon. The development of a borderline disorder in his case is also not excluded. Thus he repeatedly suffered injuries that were allegedly inflicted on him by masked strangers.
However, these were never found. There were also no witnesses. The diagnosis of mental hospitalism is usually made by a psychiatrist.
The disorder is distinguished from autism, for example, which overlaps with it to a large extent in its manifestation. One criterion for this is that, unlike hospitalism, autism is not reversible and is usually not the result of trauma.Therefore, it is helpful to ask under which circumstances the symptoms were first noticed. Furthermore, hospitalism shows similarities to depression.
This also shows a different course and is not necessarily accompanied by permanent mental and physical deficits. In principle, the first thing to do is to leave the harmful environment. The patient (hospitalism) should be placed in a caring environment that is rich in incentives, which makes it possible to prevent deficits, especially in children, and to make the first symptoms disappear.
If this is not done for a longer period of time, permanent damage occurs, which requires psychotherapeutic treatment. It is therefore important to recognize the illness as early as possible and to take countermeasures. In addition, in certain cases the treatment of individual secondary acquired diseases, such as infections, is still necessary (hospitalism).