Distinguishing between neuropsychological malingering and exaggerated psychiatric symptoms in a neuropsychological setting.
It is unclear whether symptom validity test (SVT) failure in neuropsychological and psychiatric domains overlaps. Records of 105 patients referred for neuropsychological evaluation, who completed the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM), Reliable Digit Span (RDS), and Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III), were examined. TOMM and RDS scores were uncorrelated with MCMI-III symptom validity indices and factor analysis revealed two distinct factors for neuropsychological and psychiatric SVTs. Only 3.5% of the sample failed SVTs in both domains, 22.6% solely failed the neuropsychological SVT, and 6.1% solely failed the psychiatric SVT. The results support a dissociation between neuropsychological malingering and exaggeration of psychiatric symptoms in a neuropsychological setting.
Ruocco
Anthony C
AC
Department of Psychology, Neuropsychology Program, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19102-1192, USA. acr32@drexel.edu
Swirsky-Sacchetti
Thomas
T
Chute
Douglas L
DL
Mandel
Steven
S
Platek
Steven M
SM
Zillmer
Eric A
EA
D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D008306:Malingering / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity