When should you get help for a child who's a pathological liar?

Writer: Harold S. Koplewicz, MD

Clinical Expert: Harold S. Koplewicz, MD

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Question

Answer

Children lie for many reasons. Sometimes they do it to avoid consequences. Sometimes they do it when feeling inadequate, insecure, or anxious. Sometimes they are simply copying a peer’s or an adult’s bad behavior. Lying, however, is a symptom, not a diagnosis. If a child is a pathological liar or habitually lying and then experiencing distress or dysfunction, it is time to seek professional help and a psychiatric evaluation.

Last reviewed or updated on June 30, 2025.

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Topics

Behavior Problems

Harold S. Koplewicz, MD

Harold S. Koplewicz, MD, is the founding President and Medical Director of the Child Mind Institute and is a senior child and adolescent psychiatrist in the Psychopharmacology Center. Read Bio