THE RELATIONSHIP OF MENTAL DISORDER TO SUGGESTIBILITY AND CONFABULATION AMONG FORENSIC INPATIENTS

In this study the authors investigate the relationship of mental disor der and reality monitoring to suggestibility and confabulation in 32 p atients from secure units. The patients completed the Gudjonsson Sugge stibility Scale (GSS 2), the Gudjonsson Compliance Scale, and the Real ity Monitoring Task of Bentall et al. (1991). Confabulatory responding was classified separately into 'distortions' and 'fabrications' in ac cordance with previous research. Patients with a history of hallucinat ions did not differ significantly from non-hallucinators with regard t o suggestibility, compliance, or confabulation. Nor did scores from th e Reality Monitoring Task correlate with confabulation, contrary to pr ediction. A retrospective analysis, based on psychiatric diagnosis, in dicated that the patients with personality disorder exhibited more fab rications in recall than patients with schizophrenia.