Factitious disorder in children and adolescents: A retrospective study

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.