I had a roommate like this as well, it's both frustrating and sad to see someone like this. He did things like go to the ER when he had a mild cold (in the US) because it was the weekend, instead of waiting a day or two for a family practice to open. I think he paid ~$700 and his attitude was basically, "well, fuck me I guess. This would happen to me." I tried to explain that he was in control and he chose this outcome, but his mind was made up on the matter. It was bizarre.
I'm really curious about what causes this. It sounds like it could be psychological, biological, or maybe a mix of both. I hope this continues to get further research.
They really just dropped it in there with no explanation. lol. Link to the patch notes on Steam.