malingering
Sign in to saveMalingering is the intentional fabrication, feigning, or exaggeration of physical or psychological symptoms to obtain an external benefit, such as personal gain, relief from duty or work, avoidance of arrest, acquisition of medication, or mitigation of criminal sentencing.
Key facts
- Medical condition (new).name
- Malingering
- Medical condition (new).specialty
- Psychiatry, clinical psychology
- Medical condition (new).differential
- Factitious disorder, somatization disorder
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- To avoid responsibility
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Malingering is the intentional fabrication, feigning, or exaggeration of physical or psychological symptoms to obtain an external benefit, such as personal gain, relief from duty or work, avoidance of arrest, acquisition of medication, or mitigation of criminal sentencing.
Although malingering is not a medical diagnosis, it may be recorded as a "focus of clinical attention" or a "reason for contact with health services". It is coded in both the ICD-10 and DSM-5. Motivations vary- for example, some homeless individuals may feign mental illness to gain hospital admission. Failure to detect malingering can have significant consequences for insurance systems, healthcare institutions, public safety, and veterans' disability programs. Malingered behaviour typically ceases once the desired external goal is achieved.