Faking on the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Abstract

In the public domain..

Development of a validity scale for combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder: Evidence from simulated malingerers and actual disability claimants

“…Using the differential groups method, the construct validity of the Q-PTSD in distinguishing simulated malingerers from control participants was supported in Study 1. In addition, the findings of Study 1 replicated those of previous studies, which have found the clinical utility of the MSS to be lacking in settings where malingering was a possible concern (Dalton et al, 1989;Frueh & Kinder, 1994;Lyons et al, 1994) -thus reinforcing the need for a screening instrument to determine whether response bias is present when assessing for PTSD where secondary gain may be an issue. When the Q-PTSD was validated using a previously published and objective measure of response bias (the MENT), the Q-PTSD successfully discriminated between disability claimants with valid presentations and those suspected of malingering.…”

“…While the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has recommended the MSS 'for inclusion in disability evaluations for PTSD' (Watson et al, 2002, p. 20), empirical data from several studies suggest that the MSS is ineffective in discriminating valid respondents from respondents instructed to feign PTSD (Dalton et al, 1989;Frueh & Kinder, 1994;Lyons et al, 1994;Marcario & Perconte, 2005). Similar findings have been reported with other stand-alone self-report measures (e.g., the Impact of Event Scale) that assess PTSD (Burges & McMillan, 2001;Frueh & Kinder, 1994;Lees-Haley, 1989Lees-Haley & Dunn, 1994;Morel, 1996aMorel, , 1996b.…”

“…For example, a Google search of the internet produced roughly 1,440,000 websites with information about PTSD (e.g., VVA's Guide on PTSD at http://www.vva.org/benefits/ptsd.htm or General Guide on Combat PTSD at http://www.ptsdsupport.net/combat.html). Further, the majority of stand-alone psychometric instruments used to assess for PTSD tend to be face-valid self-report inventories that are susceptible to response bias (Dalton, Tom, Rosenblum, Garte, & Aubuchon, 1989;Guriel & Fremouw, 2004;LeesHaley, 1990;Lees-Haley & Dunn, 1994;Lyons, Caddell, Pittman, Rawis, & Perrin, 1994;Morel, 1996b;Neal & Rose, 1995).…”

A Practical Guide to Conducting VA Compensation and Pension Exams for PTSD and Other Mental Disorders

“…There is abundant research literature demonstrating that compensation-seeking veterans exhibit high rates of symptom over-reporting (Calhoun, Earnst, Tucker, Kirby, & Beckham, 2000;Dalton, Tom, Rosenblum, Garte, & Aubuchon, 1989;DeViva & Bloem, 2003;Freeman, Powell, & Kimbrell, 2008;Frueh, Gold, & de Arellano, 1997;Frueh et al, 2003;Smith & Frueh, 1996;Sparr & Pankratz, 1983). However, it is important to keep in mind that it is often difficult to discern a veteran's reason(s) for over-reporting symptoms.…”

Symptom Exaggeration in Post-Secondary Students: Preliminary Base Rates in a Canadian Sample

“…Self-report inventories are vulnerable to exaggeration or feigning of symptoms (cf., Dalton, Tom, Rosenblum, Garte, & Aubuchon, 1989;Lyons, Caddell, Pittman, Rawls, & Perrin, 1994;McFarland & Ryan, 2000). Furthermore, recent studies demonstrate how simple it is to fake symptoms of ADHD, especially when filling out self-report checklists (e.g., Fisher & Watkins, 2008;Harrison et al, 2007;Jachimowicz & Geiselman, 2004;Quinn, 2003;Suhr, Hammers, Dobbins-Buckland, Zimak, & Hughes, 2008), with students who are feigning ADHD returning scores on self-report symptom checklists that were equal to or higher than those with true ADHD.…”