Forensic psychological assessments are evaluations conducted by psychologists or psychiatrists within the context of legal proceedings. They provide the court with expert opinions on various psychological issues that may be relevant to a case. Forensic psychological assessment tests can cover a wide range of topics, depending on the needs of the legal system. We can help you understand the process and what an assessment will likely entail. However, we do not provide all of the services listed below, including some of the forensic psychological tests listed, so we’ve been careful in this post to list exactly what forensic psychological testing services we can provide.
Please feel free to contact us or schedule a consultation if you’d like information about our services or general information and referral help for any of the services below.
Types of Forensic Psychological Assessments 
Here are some of the most common types of forensic psychological testing. Please note that we do not do all of these types, but we wanted to include a complete listing for educational purposes. We have added information about the types of services we provide.
Forensic Psychological Testing for Risk
- Purpose: Evaluate the likelihood that an individual will engage in future violent or criminal behavior.
- Key Considerations: History of violence, mental health diagnosis, substance abuse, and situational factors.
- Our Work: We provide forensic psychological testing for risk when a lawyer has referred a client for voluntary testing. This occurs when the lawyer feels that forensic psychological assessment tests would help their client, such as in custody evaluations.
Child Custody Forensic Psychological Assessments
- Purpose: Provides recommendations to the court regarding the child’s best interests in custody disputes.
- Key Considerations: Parenting abilities, the child’s needs and preferences, and the relationship between the child and each parent.
- Our work: We do child custody evaluations, whether court-ordered or voluntary
Personal Injury Forensic Psychological Assessments
- Purpose: Determines the emotional impact of an injury, such as in cases of accidents or trauma, on an individual’s mental health.
- Key Considerations: Symptoms of emotional distress, functional impairments, and causation related to the injury.
- Our Work: We do personal injury evaluations
Juvenile Delinquency Evaluations
- Purpose: Assesses the emotional and social factors contributing to a minor’s delinquent behavior.
- Key Considerations: Cognitive development, family environment, peer influence, and mental health issues.
- Our Work: We do juvenile delinquency evaluations
Malingering Forensic Psychological Assessments
- Purpose: Determines whether an individual is faking or exaggerating symptoms of mental illness for personal gain (e.g., avoiding trial, obtaining benefits).
- Key Considerations: Inconsistencies in self-reported symptoms, motivation for deception, and objective testing.
- Our Work: We do malingering assessments, though usually we do them for the client’s lawyer who wants to show that their client is not malingering, as opposed to doing these evaluations when they are court-ordered.
Sentencing and Mitigation Evaluations
- Purpose: Assesses factors that might influence sentencing, such as the presence of mitigating circumstances (e.g., mental illness, developmental disabilities).
- Key Considerations: History, impact of mental health on behavior, and potential for rehabilitation.
- Our Work: We do sentencing and mitigation evaluations
Competency to Stand Trial
- Purpose: Determines whether a defendant has the mental capacity to understand the nature and purpose of the legal proceedings against them and can effectively participate in their defense.
- Key Considerations: Understanding legal charges, communicating with counsel, and making decisions.
- Our Work: We do not do forensic psychological assessments involving competency to stand trial, as the court usually appoints an expert who works exclusively in this field.
Criminal Responsibility (Insanity Defense)
- Purpose: Assesses whether a defendant was legally insane at the time of committing a crime, meaning they were unable to understand the nature of their actions or distinguish right from wrong due to a severe mental disorder.
- Key Considerations: Mental state at the time of the offense, understanding of wrongfulness, and the influence of mental illness on behavior.
- Our Work: This is also a specialty area, so we do not provide forensic psychological testing in this area
Civil Commitment Forensic Psychological Assessments
- Purpose: Evaluate whether an individual should be involuntarily committed to a psychiatric facility due to being a danger to themselves or others.
- Key Considerations: Current mental state, risk of harm, and need for treatment.
- Our Work: This is also a specialty area where the court usually appoints psychologists.
Sex Offender Forensic Psychological Assessments
- Purpose: Evaluate the risk of reoffending and the factors contributing to sexually inappropriate behavior.
- Key Considerations: Sexual history, mental health, patterns of behavior, and treatment needs.
- Our Work: We do not do this highly specialized type of work.
Forensic Psychological Assessments Process
1. Referral and Documentation Review:
We receive a referral from the client, lawyer, or the court, along with relevant case documents and background. This way, we can ensure that we feel we are the best choice to perform the assessment and can answer the questions posed.
2. Forensic Psychological Assessments Interviews
The individual being assessed is interviewed to gather information on their emotional state, background, and the issues relevant to the legal case. Information is gathered from other sources, such as family members, medical records, or prior legal history.
3. Forensic Psychological Assessment Tests We Use
Standardized tests may be used to assess cognitive abilities, personality traits, and mental health symptoms. These forensic psychological assessment tests are chosen based on the unique questions being asked.
4. Forensic Psychological Testing Reports and Testimony
We prepare a comprehensive report summarizing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations. We may be called to testify to explain the assessment findings and their implications for the legal case.
Forensic Psychological Tests
The actual forensic psychological tests we use are specialized assessments to evaluate psychological and behavioral characteristics relevant to legal cases. These assessments help us determine factors like mental state, competency, risk of reoffending, or credibility. Below are common categories and examples of forensic psychological tests:
1. Forensic Psychological Tests for Competency Evaluations
Purpose: Assess whether an individual can participate meaningfully in legal proceedings. We more commonly conduct these forensic psychological tests to prove that someone is incompetent rather than competent – in other words, we are usually hired by the defense rather than the prosecution or the court.
- MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool (MacCAT-CA): Measures understanding of legal processes and ability to make rational decisions.
- Fitness Interview Test (FIT): Evaluates ability to understand court procedures and communicate with counsel.
2. Forensic Psychological Tests for Risk Assessment
Purpose: Evaluate the likelihood of reoffending or engaging in violent behavior. We are quite cautious about providing these forensic psychological tests because testing has proven to be a poor predictor of future behavior. We are more likely to accept a case when a person does not have a long history of problematic behaviors, or the behavior itself was not severe.
- Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R): Assesses psychopathic traits often linked to criminal behavior.
- Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG): Predicts risk of violent reoffending.
- Static-99: Commonly used for sex offender risk assessment.
3. Child Custody and Family Law
Purpose: Determine the best interests of the child in custody cases. This is a common reason we provide forensic psychological assessment tests, though we are more likely to be involved when a parent wants to prove they are competent, rather than when the other parent wants to prove they are not.
- Parenting Stress Index (PSI): Assesses stress levels in parent-child relationships.
- Miller Forensic Assessment of Children (MFAC): Evaluates a parent’s mental health and parenting capacity.
4. Forensic Psychological Assessments and Deception
Purpose: Identify exaggeration or fabrication of psychological symptoms. This is a common reason why we provide forensic psychological tests.
- Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2): Includes validity scales to detect malingering.
- Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM): Evaluates potential feigned memory impairment.
- Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS): Assesses the likelihood of malingering.
5. Intellectual and Cognitive Functioning
Purpose: Assess intellectual ability and cognitive impairments relevant to legal matters. This is also a common reason why we provide forensic psychological tests.
- Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS): Measures overall cognitive ability.
- Neuropsychological Tests (e.g., Trail Making Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test): Examine executive functioning and problem-solving.
6. Personal Injury and Civil Litigation
Purpose: Evaluate the psychological impact of injury or trauma. We do get involved in this process, but it should be clear that forensic psychological assessment tests may not guarantee a positive outcome. They can help a lot, though.
- Beck Depression Inventory (BDI): Measures severity of depression.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL): Assesses PTSD symptoms.
- Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R): Measures a range of symptoms.
Forensic Psychological Testing Example
We do personal injury psychological evaluations to assess the psychological impact of an injury or traumatic event on an individual. These evaluations are often used in legal contexts, such as personal injury lawsuits, to determine the extent of psychological harm and its effects on the individual’s life. Here’s an example of how such an evaluation might be conducted:
Jane is a 35-year-old woman who was involved in a car accident six months ago. The accident resulted in physical injuries, including a broken leg, and she has since experienced significant emotional distress. Jane is filing a personal injury lawsuit against the driver who caused the accident, claiming that she has suffered from trauma as a result of the incident.
Jane’s attorney referred her for forensic psychological testing to assess the extent of her emotional injuries related to the car accident.
Forensic Psychological Assessment Tests: Initial Steps
Here are the steps we would follow in this fictitious example: the usual steps in forensic psychological assessments:
Clinical Interview
Purpose: Forensic psychological testing to gather information about Jane’s emotional state, personal history, and the impact of the accident on her life. This starts the process and helps us decide what forensic psychological assessment tests to choose.
Content: Jane describes feeling anxious and fearful when driving or even thinking about getting into a car. She reports experiencing nightmares about the accident, difficulty sleeping, and constant worry. Jane also mentions that she has become more irritable and withdrawn, avoiding social situations she used to enjoy.
Collateral Information
Sources: We review Jane’s medical records, which document her physical injuries and visits to a therapist for counseling. The therapist’s notes indicate that Jane has been diagnosed with PTSD and has been undergoing cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to manage her symptoms.
Additional Interviews: We also speak with Jane’s husband, who confirms the changes in her behavior since the accident, including her increased anxiety, social withdrawal, and difficulties in their relationship.
Forensic Psychological Assessment Tests
Forensic Psychological Tests Administered
- Beck Depression Inventory (BDI): Measures the severity of depression.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist: Assesses symptoms of PTSD.
- Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2): Evaluates general personality structure and psychopathology.
Results: On the chosen forensic psychological assessment tests, Jane scores high on the PTSD Checklist, indicating significant symptoms of PTSD, including re-experiencing the trauma, hyperarousal, and avoidance behaviors. Her BDI score suggests moderate depression. The MMPI-2 results corroborate the presence of anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Behavioral Observations
During the evaluation, Jane appeared anxious and had difficulty discussing the accident without becoming visibly distressed. She avoided eye contact when discussing her fears and seemed restless throughout the interview.
Forensic Psychological Testing Findings
Diagnosis:
Based on the clinical interview, psychological testing, and collateral information, we diagnosed Jane with PTSD and moderate depression directly related to the car accident.
Functional Impairment:
Forensic psychological testing reveals that Jane’s symptoms have significantly impaired her ability to function in daily life. She has difficulty performing tasks that involve driving, has taken a leave of absence from work due to her anxiety, and has experienced a decline in her social and marital relationships.
Causation:
Based on the forensic psychological tests given, we conclude that Jane’s symptoms are a direct result of the car accident and are not attributable to any pre-existing conditions.
Prognosis:
With continued therapy, Jane’s symptoms may improve, but she is likely to experience long-term effects from the trauma, particularly in situations involving driving.
Report and Testimony
We prepare a detailed report summarizing the findings, including Jane’s diagnosis, the impact of the accident on her well-being, and the likely prognosis. This report is submitted to Jane’s attorney and may be used in court to support her claim for damages related to emotional harm.
If required, we may also testify in court, explaining the evaluation process, the findings, and how Jane’s emotional injuries are connected to the car accident.
In this example, the personal injury evaluation provides crucial evidence in Jane’s case, helping to establish the emotional damages she has suffered as a result of the accident. The assessment supports her claim for compensation for the emotional and mental impact of the trauma, in addition to her physical injuries.
Forensic psychological assessments are critical in ensuring that the legal process considers the mental health aspects of cases, which can have significant implications for justice outcomes.
Summary and Our Work
We provide a variety of forensic psychological assessment tests to help clients and their lawyers prepare for court and achieve the best possible outcome. Our forensic psychological assessments are limited in scope, and we rarely do court-ordered evaluations. We always assess each situation first to assess whether our psychological testing services may be helpful.
Please feel free to contact us or schedule a consultation if you have any questions about forensic psychological assessments or our services.
