Malingering Imposed on Another: A Diagnosis That is Missing in Action?

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Psychiatry
• Clinical Practice

Background:

• Malingering imposed on another, involving symptom fabrication or exaggeration in a patient for secondary gain, is infrequently documented.
• This phenomenon, where an individual induces or exaggerates symptoms in another for personal benefit (e.g., financial gain, medication access), warrants greater attention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing literature on malingering imposed on another.
• To highlight the clinical relevance of recognizing induced or exaggerated symptoms in vulnerable individuals for practicing physicians.

Main Methods:

• Literature search conducted using PubMed.
• Search terms included "malingering," "by proxy," and "imposed on another."

Main Results:

• Malingering imposed on another appears to be under-reported in medical literature.
• Caregiver misrepresentation or embellishment of patient symptoms for personal gain is a critical consideration.
• Recognizing this behavior can prevent unnecessary medical testing, hospital admissions, and adverse treatment effects.

Conclusions:

• Physicians must maintain awareness of malingering imposed on another.
• Early identification can mitigate harm to patients and optimize healthcare resource allocation.