Reasons Why Malingering or Conversion Reaction May Not Be Recognized

Barriers to the diagnosis of malingering:

(1) failure to consider the diagnosis

(2) considering the diagnosis but not wanting to believe it

(3) presence of a concurrent condition(s)

(4) failure to perform appropriate testing

(5) failure to recognize inconsistencies in the clinical examination and other testing

(6) patient's skill at malingering (pediatric patients are usually less practiced than adults)

(7) failure to recognize motivation