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Forensic Assessment
Published in Louis B. Schlesinger, Sexual Murder, 2021
Psychological testing is a quantitative or quasi-quantitative method of evaluating personality, psychopathology, and mental functioning. It has been used for many years to supplement information obtained through the clinical interview and review of various background records. Testing has always had general appeal because its purpose, in part, is to reduce much of the subjectivity of the clinical evaluation, as well as to assess the individual from a different perspective. Since psychological testing is an aid in the process of diagnostic (and psychodynamic) formulation, it has been widely used in forensic assessments, where the need for objectivity and accuracy is paramount (Heilbrun, 1992). Table 2.2 lists a number of traditionally used psychological tests.
Psychological Testing
Published in Stanley R. Resor, Henn Kutt, The Medical Treatment of Epilepsy, 2020
Gregory P. Lee, David W. Loring
Psychological testing is a standardized method of observing the behavioral expression of mental processes under a set of specified conditions. Psychological tests are generally objective and quantifiable, and this allows comparison of different mental skills within individuals for clinical purposes or across groups for research. Because the brain is associated with a variety of mental functions including language, memory, visual perception, psychomotor ability, and emotional expression, diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) will alter various forms of mentation, which, in turn, can be measured with psychological tests. Thus, psychometric techniques have been useful in diagnosis, determination of treatment efficacy, identification of cerebral regions underlying certain cognitive functions, and providing profiles of various diseases and their courses.
The Role of Psychological Testing in an Inpatient Psychiatric Setting
Published in Meidan Turel, Michael Siglag, Alexander Grinshpoon, Clinical Psychology in the Mental Health Inpatient Setting, 2019
We believe that every psychological testing experience has the potential to clarify diagnostic dilemmas and guide treatment planning in meaningful ways. Psychological test data is a rich source of valuable treatment-relevant information and can be used to inform treatment providers about factors that facilitate and hinder the work of therapy. It can illuminate the hidden psychological forces driving the patient’s suffering so that an accurate treatment focus can be developed and tailored interventions can be recommended. Most important, however, is that the focus on non-judgmental understanding of the patient’s mental processes and interactions undertaken by the psychologist and the patient during the testing can serve as a model for the whole treatment. Psychological testing can be used as a stimulus to orient the patient to the treatment in general. In the context of promoting reflection and curiosity, the experience of being understood in testing can provide new emotional experiences and foster the trust of others as resources for social learning. Meaningful psychodiagnostic work demands an understanding of the whole person. Through this work, the psychologist can turn the psychodiagnostic problem of understanding the “elephant” into an asset and use it to promote a mentalizing stance in patients and treatment teams.
Examining the Performance of the MMPI-2-RF in a Sample of Pretransplant Military Veterans
Published in Journal of Personality Assessment, 2023
Samuel Hintz, Jacob A. Finn, Rebecca L. Emery Tavernier, Ivy Miller, Kelly M. Moore, Mira Leese, Paul A. Arbisi
Treatment decisions regarding possible transplant are complex. In part, this is due to the relative scarcity of available organs. Though completed surgeries have increased, the rate of patients referred for transplantation on current waiting lists far outstrips the number of completed transplant surgeries. For example, in 2019 the waitlist for heart transplant was twice the number of completed surgeries that year, while the waitlist for kidney transplant was six times longer than the number of completed transplants for that organ (Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network, 2021). Furthermore, as has become a truism in healthcare, outcomes vary. Beyond strictly medical concerns, psychological factors (such as substance use, mental illness, and interpersonal functioning) contribute significantly to the success of transplant surgery (Conway et al., 2017; Kuntz & Bonfiglio, 2013; McCormick King et al., 2014). As such, psychological evaluation of pretransplant candidates is strongly recommended (Collins & Labott, 2007; Kuntz & Bonfiglio, 2013). Best practices suggest evaluation of several domains, including patient’s current mental health, social support, capacity for informed consent, history of treatment compliance, and cognitive functioning. Along with clinical interview, psychological testing is strongly recommended as a part of these evaluations.
Professional Practice Guidelines for Personality Assessment
Published in Journal of Personality Assessment, 2022
Radhika Krishnamurthy, Giselle A. Hass, Adam P. Natoli, Bruce L. Smith, Paul A. Arbisi, Emily D. Gottfried
Under certain circumstances, such as when travel is restricted due to government mandate or the individual’s ability to participate in in-person services is limited, remote personality assessment may be an option through use of synchronous, private video conferencing (telehealth or telepsychological technologies). Remote personality test administration utilizes the internet to provide a standardized administration of a psychological instrument or procedure. The Guidelines for the Practice of Telepsychology (APA, 2013c) specify that when a psychological test or assessment procedure is administered remotely, it is incumbent upon the assessor to ensure that the integrity of the psychometric properties of the test, and test-taking or assessment procedures are upheld and assure that the administration procedures outlined in the test manual for the specific instrument or procedure are followed. Additionally, it is critical that the integrity and security of the personality assessment instrument or procedure are protected as specified by AERA et al. (2014). Several recent publications outline practical steps for remote administration of psychological assessment including issues related to training and supervision (Pade et al., 2020; Wright et al., 2020a, 2020b), and specific personality assessment instruments or procedures (Corey & Ben-Porath, 2020; Meyer et al., 2020) in order to maintain the integrity of the testing process and comply with ethical standards for psychological testing.
Neuropsychological Risk Factors to Consider When Assessing for Sexually Abusive Youth
Published in Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 2018
Trisha M. Karsten, Rachyll Dempsey
Psychological assessment is a broad term for cognitive, academic, and personality testing. Psychological assessment is often warranted for diagnostic clarification, treatment planning, personal insight, and placement. Only individuals with appropriate training, which in many cases is a licensed doctoral-level psychologist, are qualified to conduct psychological testing. Referrals for a psychological assessment are warranted for sexually abusive youth if there is a question about cognitive functioning, academic achievement, learning disability, or differential diagnosis. Neuropsychological assessment is a more focal assessment that is warranted in cases of head injury, in utero exposure to drugs/alcohol, degenerative disorders, or early childhood abuse. Neuropsychological assessment is a specialized type of assessment that explores the following: memory (immediate, delayed, visual, auditory), executive functioning (planning, organization, attention, inhibition/impulsivity), visuospatial/visual constructional (visual problem solving, hand/eye coordination), language (verbal fluency, confrontation naming, word finding), and sensory motor ability (Lezak, Howieson, Loring, & Fischer, 2004). Further, neuropsychological assessment includes intellectual functioning and emotional functioning in order to rule out other issues that may be impairing an individual’s neuropsychological functioning (Lezak et al., 2004). Referrals for a neuropsychological assessment are warranted for sexually abusive youth if there is a question about neuropsychological functioning or differential diagnosis.