Malingering disorientation to time, personal information, and place in mild head injured litigants

Suchy and Sweet (2000) found disorientation in 12 (24%) of 50 benefit-seeking patients. They suggested that this level of disorientation, particularly in a sample that should not experience disorientation, is comparable to published base rate studies of malingering. The present study examined disorientation to date and personal information/place as indicators of malingering following a mild head injury. A mild head injury group (MHIG) in litigation was compared to patient groups with diagnoses of a psychiatric condition, Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and moderate to severe closed head injury group not in litigation. In the MHIG, disorientation to date and personal information/place was present in 7.4 and 5.7% of the sample, respectively, and significantly less than that found in the other three neurological groups. Disorientation to date was more common in the MHIG when compared to the psychiatric controls, but not disorientation to personal information/place. Relying on disorientation as an indicator of malingering, at least for mild head injured litigants, may underestimate its prevalence.