Forensic Psychological Assessment

Forensic Psychological Assessment

1. In Civil proceedings the assessment may determine the extent of emotional stress/cpacity to make last will/parental custody

   • Custody Evaluation
     • In cases of divorce, abuse/negelct or gaurdianship
     • Assessment
       • WAIS, MMPI, NEO-PI
       • Ackerman-Schoendorf Scales of Parent Evaluation of Custody (ASPECT) 1992
         • Assessor answers 56 yes/no questions
           • Responses based on information collected from: parent questionairre, interview and observation (with and without child), scores obtained on tests and IQ of child
             • Collated and called Parental Custody Index (PCI)
               • Mean of 50 and SD of 10
                 • Scores for Parents are compared
     • Interview
       • Adult
         • General assessment items as well as employment, history of medical and psychiatric problems, alcohol, law, current life circumstance and functioning
       • Child
         • explore reaction to court decisions, desire to see more or less of parent, who disciplines child and how and level of involvement of each parent
     • Childs interests and well-being a paramount

2. Danger to self or others

   • Assessment should be made on multiple data resources

3. Competency to Stand Trial

   • Defendant’s ability to understand the charges against him and assist in his own defence
   • Competency Screening Test (CST) 1971
     • Determines if more comprehensive assessment is required
     • 22 unfinished sentences related to legal/judicial process
       • Responses are then rated 0 - 2
         • Responses characterized as redundant, circular, or impoverished but not clearly inappropriate are scored 1
         • A response that clearly relates to one of the legal criteria receives a score of 2
         • A zero score would be given for an answer that reveals characteristics such as self-defeating behavior, substantial disorganization, or a thought disorder that would interfere with the ability to contribute to one’s defense
         • Qualitative differences were found at about 20; thus, a score of 20 or below is judged as incompetency for trial
     • 25min
   • MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool - Criminal Ajudication (MacCAT-CA) 1999
     • 22 items
     • 25-55min
     • 3 Distinct Scales
       • Understanding (8items)
         • general information related to the law and proceedings
       • Reasoning (8items)
         • ability to discern legal relevance of information
       • Appreciation (6items)
         • rational awareness of meaning and consequences of the proceeding

4. RIsk Assessment/Prediction of Aggression/Dangerousness

   • Psychopathy Cecklist - Revised (PCL-R) 1991
     • Develpoped by Robert Hare
     • 20 items
       • Three point scale: (0 = absent) (1 = Possible) (2 = present)
         • Score of 0 - 40
           • Cut-off is 30
         • Two factor scores can also be derived
           • the callous, selfish, remorseless use of others
           • chronically unstable and anti-social lifestyle
     • Semi-Structured Interview and review of collateral information (approx 3hours total)

5. Malingering

   • Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) 1996
     • 16-84yo
     • 15min
     • Detects response bias, intentional faking and exaggeration
     • Show the test taker 50 line drawings and then asking, after delay, to recognise the target among two drawings
       • Based on assumption that the performance should not be lower that chance
   • Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS) 1992
     • 18+
     • Focuses on deliberate distortions in self-presentation
     • 172 items
       • Cover wide range of psychopathology, including symptoms unlikely to be true
       • 32 of the items are repeated to detect inconsistency
       • Rated
         • 8 primary scales
           • Rare symptoms
           • symptom combinations
           • improbable or absurd symptoms
           • subtle symptoms
           • blatant symptoms
           • severity of symptoms
           • selectivity of symptoms
           • reported versus observed
         • 5 supplementary scales
           • direct appraisal of honesty
           • defensive symptoms
           • symptom onset and resolution
           • overly specified symptoms
           • inconsistency
           • Classified as being Honest, indeterminate, probably feigning or definite feigning
     • 45-60min