Factitious illness in children: the social worker's role in identification and management.
Factitious illness in children is a phenomenon that results in adverse consequences for the child. Munchausen by proxy is a factitious disorder, first described by Meadow (1977), in which a parent induces or creates the appearance of illness in the child. This article highlights the importance of social work skills in the identification and management of this syndrome, and proposes a format for decision making at various points in the process.
Masterson
J
J
Department of Pediatrics, National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Denver, CO 80206.
Wilson
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D011610:Psychosocial Deprivation; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012947:Social Work; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy