RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2019
Psychology
Easy

A person who deliberately pretends an illness is usually thought to be?

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2019

Explanation

  • Malingering is the correct term for the deliberate and conscious act of feigning or exaggerating an illness.
  • The motivation behind malingering is always an external incentive, also known as secondary gain.
  • Examples of external incentives include avoiding military duty or work, obtaining financial compensation, evading criminal prosecution, or obtaining drugs.
  • The key differentiator is the combination of conscious intent and an external goal.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: Conversion defenses (Conversion Disorder) involve the unconscious production of physical symptoms. The patient is not aware that they are creating the symptoms and is not doing it intentionally.
  • Option B: Being 'out of touch with reality' describes a state of psychosis, where a person's thoughts and perceptions are disturbed, and they have difficulty understanding what is real and what is not. They are not pretending.
  • Option D: Neurotic is an older, less specific term, generally referring to mental distress like anxiety or obsession that does not involve a loss of contact with reality. It does not imply deliberate faking of illness.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Differentiating Malingering from other psychiatric conditions like Conversion Disorder and Psychosis as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
  • Nurses must conduct thorough and objective assessments, carefully documenting discrepancies between the patient's subjective complaints and objective findings without being accusatory.
  • It is crucial to maintain a therapeutic, non-judgmental relationship, as confronting a patient suspected of malingering can damage trust and hinder care for any co-existing genuine conditions.
  • What if? If a patient deliberately fakes an illness but the motivation is to receive sympathy and assume the 'sick role' rather than for external gain (like money), the diagnosis would be Factitious Disorder, not Malingering.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, identify the key phrase in the question stem: 'deliberately pretends'. This points to a conscious, intentional action.
  • Next, evaluate the options based on this keyword.
  • Recall the definition of Malingering: the intentional faking of illness for external gain.
  • Consider Conversion Disorder: this is an unconscious process, so it's incorrect.
  • Evaluate 'out of touch with reality': this describes psychosis, which is a genuine belief, not pretense.
  • Recognize 'Neurotic' as an outdated term that doesn't fit the description of deliberate pretense. This leaves Malingering as the only correct answer.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Differentiating Malingering from other psychiatric conditions like Conversion Disorder and Psychosis.
  • Stem keywords: deliberately pretends, illness
  • Lead-in keywords: usually thought to be
  • Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

Q9JxLveKaq0fTqLQXTQVdo

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) pp. 8067-8069, 8090-8092

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A person who deliberately pretends an illness is usually thought to be? - RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2019 | NPrep