Chronic factitious disorders. Helping those who hurt themselves.

A chronic factitious disorder is a complex psychiatric illness that generally manifests itself in the medical/surgical setting. The immediate need for psychiatric intervention is generally overshadowed by the need for intense medical treatment. The psychiatric liaison nurse is in a key position to manage emotional nursing care during acute hospitalization. Assisting staff to recognize behavioral manifestations can help to prevent further self-destruction and promote future psychiatric followup. The prevalence of factitious disorders is probably higher than misconceptions about the disorder. The potential to save health care cost as well as needless human misery makes this a professional nursing concern. The high incidence of factitious disorders in the nursing profession may make profession may make it a personal issue for nurses as well.