Factitious disorder-experience at a neuropsychiatric center in southern India

Abstract

Objective: Factitious disorder is amongst the more intriguing but less-studied psychological disorders. Studies from different parts of the world have reported of varying prevalence rates. Here, we try to study the prevalence of factitious disorder in a specific sample of patients attending a neuropsychiatric center in India. Materials and Methods: We did a retrospective review of our institute′s database for cases with a diagnosis of factitious disorder in the 10-year duration from 2001 to 2010. We reviewed the available clinical and socio-demographic data. Results: Of the 81,176 patients seen in the 10-year duration, only 8 patients had been assigned the diagnosis of factitious disorder, leading to a prevalence rate of 0.985 per 10,000 patients in this sample. Most of the patients were lost to follow-up; hence. Conclusion: Factitious disorder remains highly underdiagnosed in developing countries like India. Mental health professionals need to be more aware and inquisitive about this particular disorder, so that they do not miss the diagnosis.