A mother who repeatedly seeks medical treatment for her child's unusual illness and is overly involved in the child's treatment might need to be assessed for .

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The behavior described is indicative of factitious disorder imposed on another, also known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy, where a caregiver fabricates or induces illness in another person (often a child) in order to receive attention or sympathy from healthcare providers. The mother's repeated seeking of medical attention and excessive involvement in the child's treatment suggest that she may be intentionally causing or exaggerating the child's illness. Malingering involves pretending to be ill for external gain, such as financial compensation or avoiding work or legal responsibility. Conversion disorder involves the development of physical symptoms that are not attributable to any underlying medical condition but are instead thought to be caused by psychological factors. Illness phobia (also known as illness anxiety disorder) involves excessive worry and anxiety about having a serious illness, but without the intentional fabrication or induction of symptoms seen in factitious disorder imposed on another.

A Mother Who Repeatedly Seeks Medical Treatment for Her Child's