Overview
Ripley syndrome, named after Tom Ripley in Patricia Highsmith’s *The Talented Mr. Ripley* (1955), is a popular term used mainly in Korea for someone who lives in a fabricated identity and seems to believe their own lies. It is not a diagnosis in DSM-5-TR or ICD-11. The closest research concept is pseudologia fantastica (pathological lying), described by Delbrück (1891), whose status as a separate diagnosis is debated (Dike et al., 2005; Curtis & Hart, 2020). It may co-occur with other conditions, so professional assessment is advised. This is general information, not a diagnosis.
Frequently asked questions
- Is it a real diagnosis?
- No; pathological lying is the research term.
References
- Highsmith, P. (1955). The Talented Mr. Ripley. Coward-McCann.
- Delbrück, A. (1891). Die pathologische Lüge und die psychisch abnormen Schwindler. Enke.
- Dike, C. C., Baranoski, M., & Griffith, E. E. H. (2005). Pathological lying revisited. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 33(3), 342–349.
- Curtis, D. A., & Hart, C. L. (2020). Pathological lying: Theoretical and empirical support for a diagnostic entity. Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice, 2(2), 62–69.