Factitious Disorders and the Adjudication of Claims of Physical and Mental Injury

Abstract

Factitious disorder involves the deceptive presentation of oneself or another as genuinely ill, for psychological benefits, as opposed to purely material ones. Although factitious disorders have been officially recognized since the DSM-III, and over a thousand articles and chapters have been written on the topic, the research base in this area is poorly developed, owing to the elusive quality of people with factitious disorder. Nevertheless, the issue of whether physical or mental illnesses or injuries that arise in legal cases are genuine, malingered, or factitious must be addressed by mental health examiners who serve as expert witnesses in such cases. In this review, we define and describe factitious disorder, including factitious disorder imposed on the self and factitious disorder imposed on another. We review what little is known about it, contrast it with related conditions, and review legal cases in which the theory of the case developed by a plaintiff or defendant might relate to the question of whether factitious disorder is present.

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