Types of Factitious Disorders
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DISSIMULATION |
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CONSCIOUS NONPATOLOGIC FEIGNING atypical "playing sick") |
CONSCIOUS PATHOLOGIC FEIGNING |
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Benign Use of Illness Most common; use of mild symptoms (e.g., stomachaches, headaches) as avoidance or attention- getting tools; no malicious intent; minor material and/or emotional gains are derived. |
Malingering Intentional use of exaggerated or false symptoms to obtain tangible gains; not a mental disorder, though psychiatric counseling is recommended to determine whether personality disorder exists. |
Factitious Disorders Intentional "disease forgery" for emotional satisfaction through the use of psychological or physical symptoms.
See "Extreme Variants" - Below |
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EXTREME VARIANTS OF FACTITIOUS DISORDERS |
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Munchausen Syndrome Chronic factitious disorder in which feigning illness becomes the focus of the Person's life; it is carried out until discovered then begun anew elsewhere, characterized by itinerant behavior. |
Munchausen by Proxy Faking or inducing illness in one's children to elicit sympathy and nurturance as the parent of a "poor sick child." |
Munchausen by Adult Proxy Like its namesake, but illness is induced in other adults so that the apparent "Caretaker" receives sympathy and support. |
Figure 1. Continuum of dissimulation.