Ganser Syndrome - Diagnosis

Diagnosis

According to the DSM-IV-TR, which classifies Ganser syndrome as a dissociative disorder, it is "the giving of approximate answers to questions (e.g. '2 plus 2 equals 5' when not associated with dissociative amnesia or dissociative fugue)."

Diagnosing Ganser syndrome is very challenging, not only because some measure of dishonesty is involved but also because it is very rare.

Usually when giving wrong answers, they are only slightly off, showing that the individual understood the question. For instance, when asked how many legs a horse has they might say, "five." Also, although subjects appear confused in their answers, in other respects they appear to understand their surroundings.