Poll
Mini Quiz: Assessment of Malingering
Key Takeaways
- The patient exhibits multiple vague symptoms without a medical basis, including pain, nausea, and cognitive difficulties.
- Symptoms' severity appears disproportionate, yet the patient is genuinely distressed and denies depressive symptoms.
The reported severity of the complaints in this patient appears grossly out of proportion given gathered information and clinical observations. What's your diagnosis?
CASE VIGNETTE
You are referred a patient with a 3-year history of multiple vague health and cognitive complaints including pain, nausea, memory and concentration difficulties, and fatigue. Despite an exhaustive battery of tests, no medical basis has been found for the patient's symptoms.
Additionally, the reported severity of her complaints appears grossly out of proportion given gathered information and your own clinical observations. She does appear genuinely and significantly distressed by her reported issues but otherwise denies depressive symptoms.
After meeting with the patient, reviewing medical records (which include valid performance on neuropsychological validity testing), and interviewing multiple collateral sources, you come to the opinion that the patient is not intentionally falsifying or exaggerating her symptoms.
The patient does claim that she is no longer able to work due to the severity of her difficulties and states that she intends to file for disability.
Given this information, which of the following would be the most appropriate diagnosis for this patient?
Given this information, which of the following would be the most appropriate diagnosis for this patient?
