Malingering
Intentional production of symptoms for a clear external incentive (financial, legal, avoiding work/military).
How it presents
gross inconsistencies, marked exaggeration, symptom presentation context-dependent (legal/forensic), poor cooperation in eval
Tell it apart from
- Factitious disorder
- Somatic symptom disorder
- Conversion disorder
Treatment reasoning
Not a mental disorder; no psychiatric treatment indicated. Report objective findings; avoid confrontation; document basis for inference.