MUNCHAUSEN-SYNDROME BY PROXY - A STUDY OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (the fabrication of illness by a mother i n her child) is often a serious form of child abuse that has been reco gnized increasingly over recent years. Approximately one-half of the m others in this study had either smothered or poisoned their child as p art of their fabrications. Lifetime psychiatric histories are reported for 47 of the mothers. Thirty-four had a history of a Factitious or S omatoform disorder, 26 a history of self harm, and 10 of alcohol or dr ug misuse. Nine mothers had a forensic history independent of convicti ons related to child abuse. Nineteen of these mothers were interviewed from 1-15 years after the original fabrications. The most notable psy chopathology was the presence of a personality disorder in 17 of the m others, which were not predominantly Histrionic and Borderline types. Most subjects, however, met the criteria for more than one category of personality disorder.