Malingering

Malingering is the act of deliberately pretending or exaggerating symptoms of a physical or mental illness to avoid duties, responsibilities, or undesirable situations. This behavior often occurs in a medical context, where the subject feigns illness to evade treatment, obligations, or work. It can also extend to situations where an individual seeks financial gain, such as disability benefits, by presenting false claims. malingering can complicate legitimate medical diagnoses and treatment.

Malingering meaning with examples

• During his job interview, John expressed a desire to avoid the physically demanding position by malingering, claiming that he had a chronic back injury. However, his behavior was suspicious when he was seen lifting heavy boxes just days later.
• The school counselor suspected that Sarah was malingering her anxiety symptoms to avoid taking a crucial exam. After several discussions, it became clear that the root of her issues was more about her fear of failure than any genuine mental health condition.
• The insurance adjuster quickly identified signs of malingering when the claimant provided inconsistent accounts of his supposed accident. His medical records showed no evidence of the injuries he had reported, raising doubts about his integrity.
• In a clinical trial, a few participants were found to be malingering to gain access to experimental treatments. Researchers had to develop better screening methods to ensure genuine cases received the medications and that resources were not wasted on deceit.
• The soldier’s claim of experiencing PTSD was scrutinized, with the commanding officer concerned that he might have been malingering to gain a discharge from rigorous training. A thorough evaluation revealed that while he had stress, he was likely embellishing the severity.