Symptom Overreporting and Its Consequences for Treatment

This review examines the effects of patients overreporting symptoms, which can be identified through validity tests. Such overreporting may reflect concerns about being denied care, difficulty describing experiences, or pursuit of external incentives. Regardless of the reason, it has meaningful clinical implications. Research shows links between overreporting and lower treatment adherence, higher dropout rates, and challenges in building strong therapeutic relationships. When clinicians cannot fully understand the nature or severity of symptoms, misdiagnosis and reduced trust may result. To reduce these risks, it is important to view validity test results as informative and use them to support thoughtful, collaborative conversations with patients and their support networks, ultimately enhancing treatment planning and outcomes.