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Factitious Disorder in Children and Adolescents: A Retrospective Study

Received October 1, 2006; revised January 21, 2007; accepted January 29, 2007. From Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Dept. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy. Send correspondence and reprint requests to Stefan Ehrlich, M.D., Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychosomatik, und Psychotherapie des Kindes und Jugendalters, Augustenburger Platz 1, D-13353 Berlin, Germany. e-mail: stefan.ehrlich{at}charite.de
© 2008 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine

BACKGROUND: Factitious disorder (FD) presumably manifests at an early age, but epidemiological and clinical data about pediatric FD are still lacking. OBJECTIVE: The authors sought to study prevalence data of FD among referrals to a child-and-adolescent consultation–liaison service (CLS). METHOD: Authors conducted a retrospective survey of FD on 1,684 patients who were referred to the CLS from 1992 to 2003 (Sample I) and 12,081 patients who were treated in a tertiary-care child health center from 2003 to 2005 (Sample II). RESULTS: In Sample I, FD occurred in 0.7% and, in Sample II, in 0.03% of the cases. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of pediatric FD among referrals to a CLS is similar to those found in studies of adults, and patients share many clinical characteristics.

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