MALINGERING • Four Main Categories of Malingering 1. Fabrication. The client has no symptoms or impairments resulting from the crime, but fraudulently represents that he has. Symptoms may be atypical, inconsistent, or bizarre, or they may be perfect “textbook” replicas of real syndromes. 2. Exaggeration. The client has real symptoms or impairments caused by the injury but represents them to be far worse than they really are. This is probably the most common form of malingering in clinical and forensic practice. 3. Extension. The client has experienced real symptoms or impairments caused by the injury, and these have now recovered or improved, but he falsely represents them as continuing unabated, or even as having worsened over time. 4. Misattribution. The client has symptoms or impairments that preceded, postdated, or are otherwise unrelated to the criminal assault, but he fraudulently attributes them to that event. Training Module on the Right to Mental Health for the Security Sector Malingering is not classified as a true psychiatric disorder per se, but rather is defined as the conscious and intentional simulation of illness or impairment for the purpose of obtaining financial compensation or other reward; evading duty, responsibility, or obligation; or getting relief from the consequences of one’s criminal actions or other illicit behavior. ACTIVITY II. Behavioral Emergencies • Also called a behavioral crisis or psychiatric emergency, occurs when someone’s behavior is out of control that the person becomes a danger to everyone. • The situation is so extreme that the person must be treated promptly to avoid injury to themselves and to others. • Time is of the essence in a behavioral emergency, so it is important to recognize the symptoms of this type of emergency and to realize the degree to which the situation can escalate if immediate steps are not taken to diffuse the situation. • Sometimes, despite the best efforts at prevention, a dangerous situation begins to brew, and a violent confrontation seems imminent. Other times, the incident just explodes, and individuals have to respond on the spot. Recognizing Warning Signs of Impending Violence Nonspecific red flags that an individual may be on the verge of losing control include the following: • Disorganized physical appearance 36