Faked depression: comparing malingering via the internet, pen-and-paper, and telephone administration modes.

Background: The Internet and telephone are valuable resources for mental health practitioners when access to face-to-face assessment or therapy is difficult. However, despite the high stakes (such as access to medication or financial compensation) often involved in psychological testing, little is known about how test administration mode influences test scores when patients are malingering. The aim of this research was to examine for the first time the equivalence of a malingered measure of depression when administered over the Internet, over the telephone, and with pen and paper.