Deceptive Examinees Who Committed Suicide: Report of Two Cases

Abstract

Deceptive behavior by neuropsychological examinees does not preclude the presence of significant psychopathology. To illustrate this fact we present two cases. Case 1 had a diagnosis of factitious disorder and clear evidence on neurological and neuropsychological exams of exaggeration. Case 2 had a somatoform disorder and provided a deceptive social history. Long after the neuropsychological evaluations, both persons committed suicide. These cases provide anecdotal evidence that deceptive behavior does not preclude the presence of serious psychopathology, and that deceptive behavior and self-destructive behavior sometimes coincide.

Keywords:

• Deception
• Neuropsychological assessment
• Suicide
• Factitious disorder
• Somatoform disorder

Acknowledgment

The authors thank Loren Pankratz for many helpful comments.