Malingering and Addiction in Sleep Disorders
Malingering and Addiction in Sleep Disorders

Malingering is the fabrication, intentional production, or significant  of physical or psychological symptoms or the intentional misattribution of genuine symptoms to an unrelated event or series of events designed to achieve a specific objective such as escaping duty or work; mitigating punishment; obtaining drugs; or receiving unwarranted recompense, such as disability compensation or personal damages award.

Malingering is not a medical diagnosis, but may be recorded as a “focus of clinical attention” or a “reason for contact with health services”. Malingering is typically conceptualized as being distinct from other forms of excessive illness behavior such as  and , although not all mental health professionals agree with this formulation.

Failure to detect actual cases of malingering imposes an economic burden on health care systems;  programs; and disability programs, e.g.,  (United States) and . False attribution of malingering often harms genuine patients or claimants.

Malingering and Addiction in Treatment of Sleep Disorders

According to the National Sleep Foundation (2013), about 30–40% of the general population reports some level of insomnia during their lives, and 10–15% experience significant, chronic insomnia. For these individuals, medications to help induce and sustain sleep may be helpful. On the other hand, sleep aids pose potential concerns, namely abuse. Some people exceed recommended doses, and some continue taking medications even after symptoms are no longer present. Others obtain medications under false pretenses, which is one form of malingering. Malingering occurs when clients make up or exaggerate symptoms for some personal gain. Although mental health professionals may not be directly implicated in the client’s deceit, their unique position to receive more accurate and honest information than other medical professionals presents ethical concerns. What is the mental health professional’s role in these instances? In which instances would it be appropriate to break confidentiality due to a concern of malingering? How could the malingering potentiality be planned for and avoided?

For this Assignment, conduct an Internet search or a Walden Library search for at least one peer-reviewed journal article that addresses a counseling issue related to malingering and addiction in treating sleep disorders.

In a 3- to 5-page, APA-formatted paper, include the following:

o   A description and explanation of the major types of drugs prescribed for sleep disorders

o   An explanation of the potential for addiction associated with these medicines

o   An explanation of the issues related to malingering in the treatment of sleep disorders

o   An explanation of the mental health professional’s role in mitigating the potentialities of malingering

Support your explanations with specific references to the Learning Resources and your peer-reviewed journal article.

References (use 3 or more Plus Peer reviewed Article)

Lichtblau, L. (2011). Psychopharmacology demystified. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage Learning.

Preston, J. D., O’Neal, J. H., & Talaga, M. C. (2017). Handbook of clinical psychopharmacology for therapists (8th ed.). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

Friedman, R. A. (2006). The changing face of teenage drug abuse—The trend toward prescription drugs. New England Journal of Medicine, 354(14), 1448–1450.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2014). Brain basics: Understanding sleep. Retrieved from