Treatment for the mother

Treatment for the mother will require a combination of intensive psychotherapy and family therapy.

The psychotherapy aims to uncover and then resolve the issues that caused her to fabricate (fake) or induce (cause) illness in her child. Family therapy will attempt to resolve any tensions within the family, improve the mother's parenting skills, and try to repair the relationship between the mother and child.

In more severe cases, the mother may be compulsorily detained in a psychiatric ward under the Mental Health Act so that her relationship and contact with her child can be closely monitored.

Mothers who admit their actions and are willing to undergo therapy tend to have a good outcome. It may be possible to place the child back in her care once she begins to respond to treatment.

Treatment for the child

The first goal of treatment is to restore the child to good health. The child may then require long-term therapy or counselling to help deal with the stress and trauma caused by their abuse.