ABSTRACT
Factitious disorder (FD) patients exhibit a pathological need for attention by fabricating and/or inducing an illness. Chapter 1 explores the history of the literature on medical deception, and many of the examples that have emerged in the public consciousness. Chapter 1 takes the reader on a journey through the most severe form of FD, termed “Munchausen syndrome.” The reader will come to recognize the key features of FD, the four DSM-5 criteria used to formally diagnose FD, and key differences among FD and other, often similar disorders such as malingering, conversion disorder, and hypochondria. Chapter 1 acts as a foundation of knowledge about medical deception to help readers understand the topics discussed throughout the remaining chapters.
