Four major categories of factitious disorders are generally recognized. They are:

• Factitious disorder with mostly psychological symptoms. People with this type of factitious disorder engage in behavior that that appears to indicate the presence of a mental illness. For example, they may report hallucinations or make strange statements. Ganser syndrome – in which people have short-term bursts of bizarre behavior – belongs to this class.
  
  
• Factitious disorder with mostly physical symptoms. People with this type of factitious disorder may report symptoms associated with physical illness. Common examples of symptoms reported include various types of pain, fever, infection, anemia (red blood cell deficiency), bleeding, rashes, vomiting, diarrhea and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). The most chronic and severe form of factitious disorder with mostly physical symptoms is known as Münchausen syndrome, in which patients visit multiple physicians or hospitals and seek near continual treatment for their perceived problems.
  
  
• Factitious disorder with both psychological and physical symptoms. This type of factitious disorder involves both the psychological and physical symptoms mentioned above, with neither type predominating.
  
  
• Factitious disorder not otherwise specified (NOS). This involves disorders that include symptoms of factitious disorder, but not enough symptoms associated with any one form to warrant a specific diagnosis. A disorder called Münchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) – in which people induce symptoms in another person under their care – falls into this class. Münchausen syndrome by proxy usually involves mothers who intentionally harm their children in order to receive attention. This form of child abuse can seriously affect children who remain in the care of the person harming them.