Patient's Lying: A Case Study

Our patient’s father had initially identified his chief concern as the patient’s episodes of lying, but the predominant depressive symptoms became the major focus of treatment initially; however, there was underlying suspicion of ADHD. These episodes of lying may be a result of his impulsivity, as an atypical presentation of ADHD, which also manifested in his poor executive functioning and distractibility. These symptoms, both at home and school, persisted despite improvements in his mood. While on dexmethylphenidate ER, he finally experienced improvement in his executive function, with noticeable rise in his grades and decreased episodes of lying and negative behaviors.

In clinical practice, a lot of factors are involved in the etiology of an
Glatzle-Rutzler and Lergetporer suggested that lying may be related to “problematic behavior” and “serves as a good predictor for delinquency or drug use in adolescence and childhood” (1). Verhulst’s study of international adoptees suggested neglect and changing caregivers can predict maladjustment for the young child, along with the association that early childhood adversities can increase the risk of conduct problems and depression (2). Satterfield and Schell studied boys with ADHD and found that the presence of a “conduct problem” such as “lies to get out of trouble,” “takes things from other children,” or “takes money from members of his family” could possibly lead to antisocial behavior, and subsequent criminality, when the boy grows up (3). De Sanctis also incorporates childhood maltreatment, such as neglect, along with ADHD as another factor that can lead to criminality in adulthood (4). The important conclusion from these studies is that if caught early, early intervention and treatment can prevent a young child from a delinquent