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Looking Toward DSM–V: Should Factitious Disorder Become a Subtype of Somatoform Disorder?

Received June 25, 2007; revised December 31, 2007; accepted January 11, 2008. From The Dept. of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ (LEK, CMS) and Rochester, MN (JMB). Send correspondence and reprint requests to Lois E. Krahn, M.D., Division of Psychiatry, 13400 East Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85259. e-mail: krahn.lois{at}mayo.edu
© 2008 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine

BACKGROUND: Factitious and somatoform-disorder patients are alike in that they both organize their lives around seeking medical services in spite of having primarily a psychiatric condition. In DSM–IV, the key difference is that factitious-disorder patients feign illness, and somatoform-disorder patients actually believe they are ill. Although patients may not be conscious of their motivation or even their behaviors, deliberately embellishing history or inducing symptoms exemplifies behaviors designed to enhance a self-concept of being ill. CONCLUSION: For DSM–V, we propose reclassifying factitious disorder as a subtype within the somatoform-spectrum disorders or the proposed physical-symptom disorder, premised on our belief that deliberate deceptions serve primarily to portray to treaters the sense of being ill.

Key Words: Factitious Disorder • Somatoform Disorder • DSM–V

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