**Trigger Warning: Upsetting Content – also discusses the wrongly assumed Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII)
and factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA) issue often incorrectly related to people with ME/CFS**
Maeve Boothby O’Neill’s mother had no idea she was being accused in private of causing or fabricating the illness that would take her life aged 27.
By Emily Dugan
Extracts
In the final weeks of Maeve Boothby O’Neill’s life, her mother tried frantically to get her the palliative care that might make her death more comfortable. Maeve was in pain, too weak to chew, and dying of malnutrition from severe myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).
It continues:
Less than three weeks before Maeve died, a mental health assessor also raised the argument that her illness might be “factitious disorder imposed on another” (FDIA, originally known as Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy) and said they should consider removing Maeve from Boothby’s care.
Parents of children with ME or long Covid are “a sitting duck” for allegations of “fabricated or induced illness” (FII, of which FDIA is the most extreme example) because the condition is so poorly understood and it is challenging to get a diagnosis.
Paediatrician Dr Nigel Speight, Medical Adviser to the ME Association
MEA Comment
The ME Association remains very concerned that parents of children with ME/CFS are still being investigated as cases of Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII) when there is no firm evidence to do so.
In many cases this is the result of social workers concluding that abuse or neglect is taking place because the child has physical symptoms that do not fit a commonly recognised disease pattern, more than one family member may be affected, the family have lost contact with the GP because they are not able to provide any suitable management advice, and there is reduced or non attendance at school.
If a child with ME/CFS needs a safeguarding assessment in relation to suspected abuse or neglect this must be carried out by health and social care professionals who have training and experience in dealing with ME/CFS.
Dr Charles Shepherd,
Trustee and Hon. Medical Adviser to the ME Association,
Member of the 2018-2021 NICE guideline on ME/CFS committee,
Member of the 2002 Chief Medical Officer's Working Group on ME/CFS
