Differentiating True and Feigned Insanity

Differentiating True and Feigned Insanity

• Onset: True insanity has a gradual onset, feigned insanity has a sudden onset.
• Motive: True insanity has no motive, feigned insanity has a motive (e.g., committing a crime)
• Predisposing factors: True insanity often has a family history of the illness, feigned insanity does not.
• Signs and symptoms: True insanity demonstrates uniform signs and symptoms associated with the specific type of illness, feigned symptoms are not directed to any particular type of illness.
• Activity: True insanity patients may be careless and show activity regardless of observation, feigned activity is only shown when observed and may be exaggerated.
• Mood: True insanity patients may have varying moods: excited, depressed, fluctuating, while feigned patients may overact to show mood abnormality.
• Facial expression: True patients may have peculiar looks (e.g., vacant, agitated, worried), while a feigned patient will display unpredictable facial expressions.
• Insomnia: True insanity patients experience insomnia, feigned patients may not persist with insomnia; patients may sleep soundly after a day or two.
• Exertion: True insanity patients can usually withstand exertion, while feigned patients cannot sustain physical exertion for extended periods.
• Habits: True patients are unaffected by hygiene/habits, feigned patients will often be seen as dirty and unkempt.
• Dressing: True insanity patients are appropriately dressed, feigned patients may dress carelessly.
• Skin and lips: True patients may have normal skin, feigned patients may have dry, harsh, and dirty skin.
• Tongue: True insanity patients may have a coated tongue, while feigned patients have a normal tongue.
• Repeated examination: True patients will not mind repeated examinations, feigned patients may resent examination.
• Speech characteristics: True insanity may have normal speech characteristics, while feigned patients may show variations in tone, rate, and rhythm in their speech.

Explore the key differences between true and feigned insanity in this insightful quiz. Understanding the nuances of onset, motives, signs, and symptoms will deepen your comprehension of mental health assessments. Test your knowledge on this important psychological topic.