A scoping review of treatment for factitious disorder (imposed on self)

Introduction: Factitious disorder imposed on self (FDIS) has a deleterious impact on sufferers through the sequalae of induced illness as well as the consequences of unnecessary investigations and treatments. Objective: This scoping review aimed to map the existing literature regarding the types of...

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Main Authors: Rose Kong Liu, Jessica Green, Richard Newton
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Psychiatry Research Communications
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772598725000157
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author Rose Kong Liu
Jessica Green
Richard Newton
author_facet Rose Kong Liu
Jessica Green
Richard Newton
author_sort Rose Kong Liu
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Factitious disorder imposed on self (FDIS) has a deleterious impact on sufferers through the sequalae of induced illness as well as the consequences of unnecessary investigations and treatments. Objective: This scoping review aimed to map the existing literature regarding the types of data, data quality, treatment options and outcomes, and changes in treatment approaches over time. Method: A search was performed using Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, Ovid PsycINFO, Cumulated Index in Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Results: Seventy-two studies were included (71 case reports and one case series) relating to the management of 107 participants. The quality of reporting was limited for 61 % of studies. The most common factitious illnesses were dermatological manipulation creating a skin lesion, anaemia, and bleeding. The most common treatments were supportive psychotherapy, psychiatric hospitalization, and antidepressants. Mapping publications across time revealed that 50 % of all data were published after 2011, and medication treatments became more common over time. Confrontation was reported in 40 % of participants. Conclusions: Evidence has expanded slightly in the past 17 years and this data remains exclusively at the case study level. Data relating to management were of poor quality and incompletely reported. The high frequency of confrontation and positive outcomes reported is suggestive of selection and publication bias.
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spelling doaj-art-e8dfd06e906942998d62c6db64e03c2f2025-08-20T03:05:21ZengElsevierPsychiatry Research Communications2772-59872025-06-015210021610.1016/j.psycom.2025.100216A scoping review of treatment for factitious disorder (imposed on self)Rose Kong Liu0Jessica Green1Richard Newton2School of Clinical Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, High St, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, Peninsula Health, 2 Hastings Rd (PO Box 52), Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia; Corresponding author. University of New South Wales, High St, Kensington, NSW, 2052 Australia.Department of Psychiatry, Peninsula Health, 2 Hastings Rd (PO Box 52), Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia; Deakin University, Food & Mood Centre, IMPACT (the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation), Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc), Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, AustraliaDepartment of Psychiatry, Peninsula Health, 2 Hastings Rd (PO Box 52), Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia; Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc), Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaIntroduction: Factitious disorder imposed on self (FDIS) has a deleterious impact on sufferers through the sequalae of induced illness as well as the consequences of unnecessary investigations and treatments. Objective: This scoping review aimed to map the existing literature regarding the types of data, data quality, treatment options and outcomes, and changes in treatment approaches over time. Method: A search was performed using Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, Ovid PsycINFO, Cumulated Index in Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Results: Seventy-two studies were included (71 case reports and one case series) relating to the management of 107 participants. The quality of reporting was limited for 61 % of studies. The most common factitious illnesses were dermatological manipulation creating a skin lesion, anaemia, and bleeding. The most common treatments were supportive psychotherapy, psychiatric hospitalization, and antidepressants. Mapping publications across time revealed that 50 % of all data were published after 2011, and medication treatments became more common over time. Confrontation was reported in 40 % of participants. Conclusions: Evidence has expanded slightly in the past 17 years and this data remains exclusively at the case study level. Data relating to management were of poor quality and incompletely reported. The high frequency of confrontation and positive outcomes reported is suggestive of selection and publication bias.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772598725000157Factitious disorderMunchausen's syndromeMedically unexplained symptoms
spellingShingle Rose Kong Liu
Jessica Green
Richard Newton
A scoping review of treatment for factitious disorder (imposed on self)
Psychiatry Research Communications
Factitious disorder
Munchausen's syndrome
Medically unexplained symptoms
title A scoping review of treatment for factitious disorder (imposed on self)
title_full A scoping review of treatment for factitious disorder (imposed on self)
title_fullStr A scoping review of treatment for factitious disorder (imposed on self)
title_full_unstemmed A scoping review of treatment for factitious disorder (imposed on self)
title_short A scoping review of treatment for factitious disorder (imposed on self)
title_sort scoping review of treatment for factitious disorder imposed on self
topic Factitious disorder
Munchausen's syndrome
Medically unexplained symptoms
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772598725000157
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