title: Patients who (need to) tell stories.
abstract: There are no objective means of verifying a psychiatric diagnosis. Some patients appear to exploit this inherent uncertainty by claiming to be mentally ill when they are not. Occasional exaggeration or feigning of illness may be normal, but persistent, severe or recurrent simulation is rare, is associated with major character disorder and has a poor prognosis.
authors.affiliation: North Devon District Hospital, Raleigh Park, Barnstaple.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005162:Factitious Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis