Munchausen syndrome by proxy

From MEpedia, a crowd-sourced encyclopedia of ME and CFS science and history

Munchausen’s by proxy (MSBP), now known as Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII) and Factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA or FDIoA) is a controversial and relatively rare mental health diagnosis, in which a caregiver or spouse fabricates, exaggerates, or induces mental or physical health problems in those who are in their care to draw attention, sympathy, or reassurance for themselves.

It is both physical abuse and medical neglect and is also a form of psychological maltreatment.[1]

Fabricated induced illness and children with ME/CFS[edit | edit source]

Some children with ME/CFS have found their parents accused of "fabricating" their illness, sometimes resulting in child protection/safeguarding measures being taken to separate the ill child from parents or carers. In some cases children with ME/CFS have been removed from parents and spent considerable time in a psychiatric unit, without parental contact.[2][3] This has happened in a number of countries, including the UK, Denmark and Belgium.[2][4]

Notable studies[edit | edit source]

  • 2006, Pediatric Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Munchausen-By-Proxy: A Case Study[4] - (Full text)

Articles, letters and videos[edit | edit source]

  • 2015, Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy, Factitious Disorders in Children and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome[5] (Full text)

News coverage[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

Learn more[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Neglect, and the Committee on Child Abuse and; Stirling, John (May 1, 2007). "Beyond Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: Identification and Treatment of Child Abuse in a Medical Setting". Pediatrics. 119 (5): 1026–1030. doi:10.1542/peds.2007-0563. ISSN 0031-4005. PMID 17473106.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Colby, Jane (2014). "False Allegations of Child Abuse in Cases of Childhood Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)" (PDF). Tymes Trust.
  3. ↑ BBC news (November 8, 1999). "Panorama | Sick and Tired". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Van Hoof, E.; De Becker, P.; De Meirleir, K. (January 2006). "Pediatric Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Munchausen-By-Proxy: A Case Study". Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. 13 (2–3): 45–53. doi:10.1300/J092v13n02_02. ISSN 1057-3321.
  5. ↑ Bell, David (December 2015). "Proxy, Factitious Disorders in Children and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome". International Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. IACFSME newsletter Dec 2015. IACFS. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Fabricated or induced illness". nhs.uk. October 23, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2019.

myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - A disease often marked by neurological symptoms, but fatigue is sometimes a symptom as well. Some diagnostic criteria distinguish it from chronic fatigue syndrome, while other diagnostic criteria consider it to be a synonym for chronic fatigue syndrome. A defining characteristic of ME is post-exertional malaise (PEM), or post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (PENE), which is a notable exacerbation of symptoms brought on by small exertions. PEM can last for days or weeks. Symptoms can include cognitive impairments, muscle pain (myalgia), trouble remaining upright (orthostatic intolerance), sleep abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal impairments, among others. An estimated 25% of those suffering from ME are housebound or bedbound. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies ME as a neurological disease.

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