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Finding the Validity of M-FAST for Detecting Malingerers in Defendants Who Claim Mental Disorder and Referred to Legal Medicine Center of Tehran, Iran
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Mehdi Saberi1   , Armindokht Ahmadi2 , Mohamad Hossein Mirjalili3 , Saeid Kiani4 |
1- Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Legal Medicine Research Center,Legal Medicine Organization,
2- psychologist , armindokhta@yahoo.com
3- Tehran University of Medical Sciences
4- Department of Humanities, college of psychology, Bandarabbas Branch, IAU, Iran |
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Abstract: (23 Views) |
Introduction: The considerable prevalence of malingering of mental disorders among defendants underscores the necessity of having auxiliary diagnostic tools to identify genuine patients. The aim of this study was to develop an objective instrument with established validity and reliability to assist in the detection of malingering within a short timeframe during forensic psychiatric evaluations.
Methods: This study was conducted using the M-FAST instrument along with a clinical interview and final psychiatric diagnosis in the psychiatric department of Legal Medicine. The study is a descriptive survey with an emphasis on the instrument validation plan. The M-FAST was applied on 144 defendants claiming mental disorder and 273 non-disordered defendants and was analyzed to determine the cut-off point after determining the sensitivity and specificity based on information obtained by Rock curve (ROC). The content validity of the instrument was checked through experts' opinion and its validity was obtained through statistical and psychometric methods.
Results: Based on the results obtained through the calculated ROC curve of sensitivity and specificity, the appropriate cut off point of instrument was calculated 6. This means that if the total score obtained for an individual is higher than 6, it will be an indicator of malingering.
Conclusion: Given the critical importance of psychiatric interviews in the diagnosis of mental disorders, having access to an appropriate, valid, and reliable instrument with sound psychometric properties can contribute to more accurate psychiatric evaluations in forensic medicine. |
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| Keywords: Mental disorders, Malingering, Psychometrics, Forensic medicine |
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Type of Article: Research Article |
Subject:
Forensic Psychiatry
Received: 2025/09/8 | Revised: 2026/06/9 | Accepted: 2026/06/9
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