Diagnostic utility of the structured inventory of malingered symptomatology to detect malingering in a forensic sample.

The Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS) is a 75-item, self-report measure to be used with individuals at least 18 years of age, which may be utilized to assess potential malingering of psychosis, neurologic impairment, amnesia, low intelligence, or affective disorder. However, no studies in the literature have examined the diagnostic validity of this instrument in a known-groups design involving medicolegal referrals diagnosed as malingering using the criteria outlined by Slick and colleagues [Slick, D. J., Sherman, E. M. S., & Iverson, G. L. (1999). Diagnostic criteria for malingered neurocognitive dysfunction: Proposed standards for clinical practice and research. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 13, 545-561]. The current known-groups, archival study was designed to examine the effectiveness of the SIMS at identifying malingering in patients involved in personal injury lawsuits or disability claims. Findings indicate that a higher cut score on the SIMS for identification of malingering may be appropriate for use with this population. Limitations, clinical implications, and suggestions for further research are discussed.