Concept
What do we know about ADHD in college students: Malingering
- Malingering to obtain an ADHD diagnosis may be especially pertinent to college students.
- Students may deliberately over-report ADHD symptoms to procure academic accommodations or feign ADHD to obtain a prescription for stimulant medication.
- One study found that approximately 25-48% of students self-referred for ADHD evaluations exaggerate symptoms.
- Concerns about college students feigning ADHD have prompted efforts to identify reliable methods for detection.
- Some studies have identified that ADHD self-report scales, which are most commonly used when diagnosing ADHD, do not accurately differentiate between those feigning ADHD and those who do have ADHD.
- Available research indicates that clinicians should recognize that many college students requesting ADHD evaluation may feign symptoms to obtain a diagnosis, and self-report measures can be readily faked, and clinical interviews may or may not be more effective at identifying malingering.
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Updated 2021-05-29
Tags
Psychology
Social Science
Empirical Science
Science