Which disorder is characterized by deliberately producing symptoms for the "sick role"?

The disorder characterized by deliberately producing symptoms for the "sick role" is known as Factitious Disorder. Individuals with this condition consciously fabricate or exaggerate symptoms to assume the role of a sick person, often without any apparent external incentive. Their motivations are not to gain tangible rewards such as financial gain or avoidance of work, but rather to receive care, sympathy, or attention associated with being ill.

Factitious Disorder can manifest in various forms, including Factitious Disorder Imposed on Self (where an individual feigns or induces illness in themselves) and Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another (such as a caregiver intentionally giving false information about a dependent).

In contrast, other disorders would not fit this description as precisely. For example, while Conversion Disorder involves the presence of neurological symptoms that are inconsistent with medical explanations, the symptoms are not intentionally produced. Malingering involves the deliberate fabrication of symptoms for clear external motivations, such as financial compensation, not merely to assume the role of being sick. Meanwhile, Somatization Disorder, which may involve the presence of physical symptoms with no identifiable medical cause, also does not involve the intentional production of symptoms for the sake of gaining the "sick role."

Therefore, Factitious Disorder is specifically distinguished by the individual's