Factitious disorder imposed on another
a phenomenon when one person fakes existence of an illness in another (often a parent imposes an idea on a child)
Factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA), also known as fabricated or induced illness by carers (FII) or medical child abuse, and originally named Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSbP) after Munchausen syndrome, are terms used to describe a situation in which a caregiver creates the appearance of health problems in another person. The victim is typically the caregiver's child, but is occasionally an adult partner. The abuser may create the appearance of health issues by altering test samples, injuring the victim, falsifying diagnoses, or using contrived photographs or videos. Such "evidence" can be used to convince both the victim and others of underlying health conditions. Permanent injury (physical or psychological) or even death of the victim can occur as a result of the caretaker's actions. The behavior is generally thought to be motivated by a desire for sympathy or attention from other people.
The causes of FDIA are generally unknown, but many physicians and mental health professionals believe that it is associated with the caregivers having experienced traumatic events during childhood (for example, parental neglect, emotional deprivation, psychological abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, or severe bullying). The primary motive is believed to be a desire for attention and sympathy, often with an underlying inclination to lie and manipulate others (including health professionals). Financial gain is also a motivating factor in some individuals. Common risk factors for FDIA include pregnancy related complications, past neglect or trauma, and prior diagnosis of factitious disorder imposed on self.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Factitious disorder imposed on another” as a phenomenon when one person fakes existence of an illness in another (often a parent imposes an idea on a child). Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as a phenomenon when one person fakes existence of an illness in another (often a parent imposes an idea on a child). Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 27, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1414765. The Library of Congress control number is sh93000062. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Factitious disorder imposed on another”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Factitious disorder imposed on another primary sources, Factitious disorder imposed on another archive and Factitious research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Factitious disorder imposed on another”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Factitious disorder imposed on another” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.