title: [Simulation of mental illness].
abstract: The DSM-IV-TR defines the simulation an "intentional production of physical or psychological symptoms false or grossly exaggerated, motivated by external incentives". The first point to consider is that it has a near zero prevalence in the general population, occurring almost exclusively in people imprisoned, treated in Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, in individuals subjected to trial, or in personalities seen as deviated from a criminological point of view. Both the criteria to set diagnoses of simulation, previously examined by Foreal and Kaufman since 1943, and the relative suspicion indicators, not separated by 'reasons of simulated behavior, are taken into account. The work also addresses several other meanings of self injurious actions appointed by Bachler, as well as the associationist/mechanistic theories of the classical dynamic model and the differential diagnosis with other conditions of Psychiatric Interest and concludes with the topic of "Premeditation".
authors.affiliation: Catedra di Psicopatologia Forense, Dipartimento di Neurologia e Psichiatria, Sapienza Università di Roma. vincenzo.mastropnardi@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mastronardi
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Casale
mesh_terms: D003663:Decision Trees; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005162:Factitious Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans