Citation

Nemets B, Witztum E, Kotler M. Harefuah 2002; 141(8): 726-30, 760.

Affiliation

Beer Sheva Mental Health Center, Faculty of Medical Science, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Israel Medical Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12222139

Abstract

The review describes the heated dispute on the present state of recovered traumatic memories. There are two main schools concerning the status of recovered memories of child abuse. One school believes in their authenticity unconditionally. Those who oppose the authenticity claim False Memory Syndrome's existence. They describe it as "a serious form of psychopathology characterized by strongly believed pseudomemories of childhood sexual abuse" and "condition in which a person's identity and interpersonal relationships are centered around a memory of traumatic experience which is objectively false but in which the person strongly believes". This review presents the allegations of both sides involved in the dispute, with updates of scientific and judicial references and relevant recommendations to care takers.

Language: he