Chronic factitious disorders. Helping those who hurt themselves

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Nursing

Background:

• Factitious disorder is a complex psychiatric condition often presenting in medical settings.
• The need for medical treatment can obscure the necessity for psychiatric intervention.
• Factitious disorders may be more prevalent than commonly believed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the critical role of psychiatric liaison nurses in managing factitious disorder during acute hospitalizations.
• To emphasize the importance of staff recognition of behavioral manifestations associated with factitious disorder.
• To underscore the professional nursing responsibility in addressing factitious disorders due to potential healthcare cost savings and patient suffering.

Main Methods:

• This study is a review of the literature and clinical observations.
• It focuses on the role of the psychiatric liaison nurse in the medical/surgical setting.
• It discusses the recognition and management of behavioral manifestations of factitious disorder.

Main Results:

• Psychiatric liaison nurses are pivotal in providing emotional nursing care during acute hospitalizations for factitious disorder.
• Staff education on recognizing behavioral signs can prevent self-harm and encourage follow-up psychiatric care.
• The prevalence of factitious disorders might be underestimated, presenting a significant concern for healthcare costs and patient well-being.

Conclusions:

• Factitious disorder requires integrated medical and psychiatric management, with psychiatric liaison nurses playing a key role.
• Early recognition and intervention are essential for improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare burdens.
• The high incidence within the nursing profession makes this a critical issue for nurses to address personally and professionally.