Depressive symptoms in pathomimia: comorbidity or psychiatric
factitious disorder? Encephale 2011; 37:133-137.
Although there are no medicines to treat
factitious disorders, they may be used to treat any related condition such as depression, anxiety, or a personality disorder.
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy,
Factitious Disorder by Proxy, and
In this case, if the agency could say that the mother had created this illness in her daughter, then it would be correct to assert that the mother did indeed have
factitious disorder by proxy.
A case of
factitious disorder by proxy: The role of the health-care system.
These include symptoms caused by the direct physiological effects of a general medical condition, complex partial seizures, direct physiological effects of a substance, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder with rapid cycling, anxiety disorders, somatization disorders, personality disorders, malingering, and
factitious disorder. Chefetz (2006) added addictions and eating disorders to this list.
FACTITIOUS DISORDERS ARE CHARACTERIZED BY PHYSICAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS THAT ARE INTENTIONALLY PRODUCED OR FEIGNED IN ORDER FOR SOME TO "ASSUME THE SICK ROLE." Munchausen's Syndrome is the most severe form of
factitious disorder.
Malingering is to be distinguished from
Factitious Disorder, in which individuals feign medical or psychiatric conditions, not for external reasons, but solely to assume the patient role and receive care (APA; Mercer & Perdue, 1993).
The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children suggested that the Munchausen by Proxy syndrome be conceptualized as two separate diagnostic entities: 1) a caregiver perpetrator component based upon a caregiver who abuses a child through illness falsification due to the psychiatric condition of
factitious disorder by proxy; and 2) a child victim component, PCF, based upon the child who is the victim of maltreatment (Ayoub & Alexander, 1998).
A
factitious disorder is characterized by physical or psychological symptoms that are intentionally produced in order to assume the sick role.
Lastly, one must also consider
Factitious Disorder in the differential.
KAMUELA, HAWAII -- It is worth considering a diagnosis of
factitious disorder in a pregnant woman who presents three or more times for uterine contractions in the absence of cervical changes, especially if her complaints begin early in pregnancy Dr.