Sharon frequently causes diarrhea in her three-year-old daughter by feeding her spoiled milk and rotten eggs. When the child is repeatedly hospitalized, Sharon acts like a very worried and caring mother. Because Sharon is not playing the sick role and receives no obvious reward for her behavior, her appropriate diagnosis is ____.
A) complex somatic symptom disorder with somatization features (somatization disorder)
B) factitious disorder
C) factitious disorder imposed on another
D) malingering

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sharon's behavior fits the description of factitious disorder imposed on another (previously known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy), where an individual deliberately causes illness or injury to someone else (in this case, her daughter) to gain attention and sympathy for themselves as a caring caregiver, without direct benefit to themselves from the illness.

Sharon Frequently Causes Diarrhea in Her Three-Year-Old Daughter by Feeding