Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 1 of 1
Psychopathology of perpetrators of fabricated or induced illness in children: case series
- Authors:
- BASS Christopher, JONES David
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 199(2), August 2011, pp.113-118.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Munchausen's syndrome by proxy is a rare form of child abuse. However, little is known about the psychopathology of the perpetrators. This paper investigated the medical, psychiatric, social work and forensic records of mothers referred for detailed psychiatric assessment from 1996 to 2009. Participants included 28 individuals with a diagnosis of fabricated or induced illness were referred to the authors for detailed psychiatric assessment. Findings revealed that 57% had evidence of a current somatoform disorder, and factitious disorders were identified in 64%. There was evidence of pathological lying in 61%. A chronic somatoform disorder or factitious disorder was detected in almost two-thirds of the participants. Over half of the mothers exhibited pathological lying, in some dating from adolescence, and this often continued into adult life. The authors concluded that psychiatrists should always be aware of the potential impact of these illnesses on any dependent children.