Detection of Malingering Using Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV for Psychiatric Patients
- Author:
An Kook ON
1
;
Kyu-Sic HWANG
;
Seung-Ho JANG
;
Hye-Jin LEE
;
Min-Jung SOH
;
Chan-Mo YANG
;
Sang-Yeol LEE
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Psychiatry Investigation 2020;17(6):526-532
- CountryRepublic of Korea
-
Abstract:
Objective:Psychiatric patients sometimes show poor performance or exaggerated symptoms as malingering for secondary gain. The aim of this study was to introduce cut-off scores for detecting poor performance using Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) in psychiatric patients.
Methods:Participants were 261 in- and out-patients who visited psychiatry department. They were classified into 4 group- 1) military service, 2) traumatic brain injury (TBI), 3) psychosis, 4) neurosis. A Digit Span subtest (called as Reliable Digit Span, RDS) of WAIS was used to detect malingering. This study considered a score of 10% base rate as RDS cut-off score.
Results:The RDS cut-off score was shown at 7 pts for military service group, at 3 pts for TBI group, at 6 pts for psychosis group, and at 6 pts for neurosis group.
Conclusion:This study first introduced RDS cut-off scores for malingering psychiatric patients in South Korea. In clinical practice, clinicians may be able to utilize the RDS cut-off scores for malingering-suspected patients. In particular, for patients with military service issues, 7 or less pts of RDS can be used for detecting and inferring their malingering.
