Synopsis

“Factitious Disorders by Proxy” occur when caregivers (usually parents) exaggerate and/or fabricate symptoms and signs of illness in a child. This can sometimes be driven by an underlying personality disorder in the caregiver, or because of excessive anxiety that a serious illness is being missed by health care professionals. Either way they are very difficult conditions to identify and to manage.

This presentation by Dr Andrew Court (Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist) and Professor Lynn Gillam (Clinical Ethicist) will discuss what is currently known on the subject together with a hypothetical case scenario to be used as a forum to discuss clinical and ethical considerations.

Speakers

Dr Andrew Court is a Consultant Psychiatrist at the Royal Children’s Hospital working on the Consultation Liaison team. He has previously trained and worked as a Paediatrician and has extensive experience working with these disorders both as a Paediatrician and as a Psychiatrist.

Professor Lynn Gillam is a clinical ethicist, originally trained in philosophy and bioethics. Lynn is the Academic Director of the Children’s Bioethics Centre at RCH, and has been doing clinical ethics case consultation at RCH for over 10 years.  She has been involved in a number of case consultations involving suspected factitious disorder, and seen the ethical complications and moral distress amongst clinicians which these situations create.