Pathological Liar: All You Need to Know

Pathological lying refers to a long-standing pattern of frequent or excessive lying. It is important to remember that it is not officially recognized as a separate disorder in the DSM-5, although other mental health problems may be present alongside it.

Research on pathological lying is still very limited. Some older findings are based on case reports, and some brain-related findings come from very small studies. So while the topic is fascinating, many questions remain unanswered.

Sources and Further Reading

• Pseudologia fantastica by King BH and Ford CV, Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 1988.
• Pseudologia fantastica, factitious disorder and impostership: a deception syndrome by Hardie TJ and Reed A, 1998.
• Localisation of increased prefrontal white matter in pathological liars by Yang Y et al., The British Journal of Psychiatry, 2007.
• Pathological Lying: Theoretical and Empirical Support for a Diagnostic Entity by Curtis DA and Hart CL, 2020.
• Pathological Lying: Psychotherapists’ Experiences and Ability to Diagnose by Curtis DA and Hart CL, 2022.
• Pseudologia fantastica: a systematic review of sociodemographic features and psychiatric comorbidities, 2026.

More on lying:

• The Difference Between Psychopath and Sociopath
• Interactive Sociopath Test
• Signs of Lying in Body Language
• Body Language of a Liar