Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP): a review regarding perpetrators of factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA)

Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) is well-known to clinicians, but its usage is discouraged now in favor of other terms placing emphasis on the victim. This study aims to determine the most common characteristics of perpetrators but only in case reports labeled as MSBP, published in PubMed literat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:CNS spectrums 2022-02, Vol.27 (1), p.16-26
Main Authors: Abdurrachid, Nuzhat, Gama Marques, João
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case reports
Child abuse & neglect
Children & youth
Correctional Facilities
Deception
Factitious Disorders - diagnosis
Factitious Disorders - epidemiology
False information
Female
Hospitals
Humans
Male
Mental disorders
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy - diagnosis
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy - psychology
Personality Disorders
Professionals
Review
Suicide
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Summary:Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) is well-known to clinicians, but its usage is discouraged now in favor of other terms placing emphasis on the victim. This study aims to determine the most common characteristics of perpetrators but only in case reports labeled as MSBP, published in PubMed literature in the past 15 years. MSBP has been described as a rare form of abuse due to illness falsification, where the perpetrator usually receives the diagnosis of factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA). We extracted data from 108 articles, including 81 case reports. Almost all perpetrators were female (91% female, 1% female and male, 7% unreported). Twenty-three cases (28%) had a perpetrator with psychiatric diagnosis: factitious disorder imposed on self (10%), depression (9%), and personality disorders (7%). In more than one-third (36%) there was familial conflict or abuse. Fourteen cases (17%) had perpetrators working in healthcare. The most common type of falsification was induction (74%); however, 15% of cases had more than one type of falsification. The most common outcomes were: separation (37%); no follow-up (22%); imprisonment (14%); death of victim (12%); treatment of the perpetrator (10%); continued living together (4%); and suicide of perpetrator (1%). Recurrence was present in more than three quarters of cases. Our results reiterate that awareness of the most common findings in MSBP allows physicians to identify them in a clinical context.
ISSN:1092-8529
2165-6509
DOI:10.1017/S1092852920001741