Following the death of her son, Lacey Spears was suspected of having Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another (also known as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy). A way that individuals with this disorder can garner attention is via social media. They can solicit sympathy and support from those in their online social network and even those who are not. The Lacey Spears case is one of the first high profile cases that showed this. Lacey’s lawyers did not use the disorder during her defense and it was not mentioned during the trial. The judge referred to the disorder only during sentencing and hoped that she received treatment while incarcerated.
The 48 Hours episode and article highlighting this case can be found here: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lacey-spears-a-mother-accused/
This article covers the sentencing:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/nyregion/lacey-spears-who-killed-son-with-salt-gets-leniency-in-sentencing.html?_r=0
DSM 5 Criteria
Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another
A. Falsification of physical or psychological signs or symptoms, or induction of injury or disease, in another, associated with identified deception.
B. The individual presents another individual (victim) to others as ill, impaired, or injured.
C. The deceptive behavior is evident even in the absence of obvious external rewards.
D. The behavior is not better explained by another mental disorder, such as delusional disorder or another psychotic disorder.
Note: The perpetrator, not the victim, receives this diagnosis. The victim may be given an abuse diagnosis.
Specify:
Single Episode
Recurrent Episodes (two or more events of falsification or illness and/or induction of injury)
- Does Lacey Spears meet the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for factitious disorder imposed on another? Explain using the diagnostic criteria and specific evidence from the articles.
- How could social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) impact the prevalence of this disorder in general as well as the severity of the disorder for an individual? Be sure to explain why you feel this would occur.
- What is your opinion on the verdict and sentencing in this case? Do you feel that her attorneys should have used the disorder during her defense? Explain.
Sample Solution
