Forensic Uses of Clinical Assessment Instruments

The purpose of this book is to provide a firm basis for psychologists to understand the appropriate uses and limitations of popular clinical assessment measures as they are applied to forensic issues. The instruments were selected because of their wide use and importance in both clinical and forensic settings. The PCL-R, the PAI, and MCMI-II, for example, are typically used with adults in criminal evaluations; the MMPI-A is often used in evaluating adolescents in detention and correctional facilities; while the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) (Achenbach, 1991), Personality Inventory for Children--Second Edition (PIC-2) (Lachar & Gruber, 2001), and Parenting Stress Index (PSI) (Abidin, 1995) are more commonly used in evaluating families involved in child protection and custody cases. Instruments such as the MMPI-2, the Rorschach, and the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery are widely used across many types of forensic evaluations, although the latter category of testing is particularly related to personal injury evaluations.

The end result is a unique and indispensable reference: a comprehensive overview, within a single text, of prominent clinical assessment instruments widely used for forensic purposes and designed to facilitate the optimal use of clinical assessment instruments among psychologists who have undertaken the training necessary to understand and apply psychological principles and test findings to salient legal standards or issues.