by Dr. Lorin Bradbury
Question: What is secondary gain?
Secondary Gain is defined as a benefit that occurs secondary to a confirmed or stated, but unconfirmed, illness. It describes the benefits derived from living the “sick Role.” Individuals who benefit from Secondary Gain may exaggerate symptoms to receive attention or other tangible benefits. They may consciously use confirmed symptoms, or unconsciously present symptoms that have no physiological basis for some form of gain.
Secondary Gain provides some form of reward beyond the relief from physical or psychological suffering. It can be described as the benefits people receive from not getting well.
The following are examples of secondary gain:
•An individual may receive more encouragement and positive remarks from his therapist the longer he remains in a state of anxiety.
•Another person may use her diagnosis of depression to avoid doing something her husband wants her to do with him if it’s something she would find difficult if her depression didn’t exist.
•And still another person uses suicidal ideation because she believes her husband will not leave her while in that state.
So, in other words, Secondary Gain occurs when a patient finds some secondary benefit from remaining in a less than healthy state.
Lorin L. Bradbury, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Bethel. For appointments, he can be reached at 543-3266. If you have questions that you would like Dr. Bradbury to answer in the Delta Discovery, please send them to The Delta Discovery, P.O. Box 1028, Bethel, AK 99559, or e-mail them to [email protected].
