Estudio de caso: ¿simulación o trastorno de personalidad múltiple?

Abstract

The dissociative identity disorder (DID) can be considered a rare disorder because of its seemingly low prevalence. However, in recent years it points to the possible underdiagnosis because its complexity and confusion at the time of differential diagnosis. On the other hand, the malingering of mental psychopathology can have a major socio-economic and legal impact, particularly important in this type of disorder, given the inability it generates and its complex diagnostic. This paper refers the case of a patient admitted to the short-term hospitalization unit of Dr. Rodríguez Lafora Hospital (Madrid) with depressive symptoms. Then the patient seemed to become a TID case. The evaluation consisted of a psychological history and the application of the Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptoms (SIMS) and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-II). The results showed an altered personality profile as well as likely malingered symptoms, what prevented us from a DID diagnosis. In view of the results, possible implications of this case for the clinical setting are discussed.