Factitious disorder is a mental disorder in which a person acts as if they have a physical or psychological illness when they themselves have ...CORONAVIRUS:DELAYSFORROUTINESURGERIES,VISITORRESTRICTIONS+COVID-19TESTING.Home/HealthLibrary/Disease&ConditionsFactitiousDisordersFactitiousdisorderisamentaldisorderinwhichapersonactsasiftheyhaveaphysicalorpsychologicalillnesswhentheythemselveshavecreatedthesymptoms.Peoplewiththisdisorderarewillingtoundergopainfulorriskyteststogetsympathyandspecialattention.Appointments866.588.2264Appointments&LocationsChatwithaRepresentativeContactUsFactitiousDisordersMenuOverviewDiagnosisandTestsManagementandTreatmentPreventionOutlook/PrognosisWhatisfactitiousdisorder?Factitiousdisorderisaseriousmentalhealthdisorderinwhichapersonappearssickorproducesphysicalormentalillness.Peoplewithfactitiousdisorderdeliberatelyproducesymptomsofanillnessforthepurposeofreceivingcareandattentioninamedicalsetting.Thesymptomsaren’tintendedtogetthempracticalbenefits—thegainisbelievedtobemainlypsychological.Factitiousdisorderisconsideredamentalillness.It’sassociatedwithsevereemotionaldifficultiesandpatients’likelihoodofharmingthemselvesbycontinuingtoproducemoresymptoms,resultingingettingthemselvesunnecessaryproceduresandsurgeries.Whatarethetypesoffactitiousdisorder?Factitiousdisordersareoftwotypes:Factitiousdisorderimposedonself:Thistypeincludesthefalsifyingofpsychologicalorphysicalsignsorsymptoms.Anexampleofapsychologicalfactitiousdisorderismimickingbehaviorthatistypicalofamentalillness,suchasschizophrenia.Thepersonmayappearconfused,makeabsurdstatements,andreporthallucinations(theexperienceofsensingthingsthatarenotthere;forexample,hearingvoices).Factitiousdisorderimposedonanother:Peoplewiththisdisorderproduceorfabricatesymptomsofillnessinothersundertheircare:children,elderlyadults,disabledpersonsorpets.Itmostoftenoccursinmothers(althoughitcanoccurinfathers)whointentionallyharmtheirchildreninordertoreceiveattention.Thediagnosisisnotgiventothevictim,butratherto