Psychological testing

Abstract The proper identification of individuals with behavioral health issues in correctional settings is a crucial component of correctional health care. However, several factors related to the correctional environment make arriving at the correct diagnoses difficult. The use of psychological testing can be an important adjunct to correctional mental health screening and assessment to increase the accuracy of diagnostic assessments. Psychometric tools have the advantages of increasing standardization and objectivity and allowing comparison with established norms. This chapter explains the reasons for using psychological testing, as well as the challenges of their use in correctional settings. It also briefly reviews some psychometric tools used in jails and prisons to assess cognitive/intellectual functioning, personality and psychopathology, and symptom and performance validity. Furthermore, this chapter provides some caveats about the cultural validity of psychological assessment in correctional settings and the potential forensic misuse of testing data. The chapter ends by providing some guidance about test selection for newly developed instruments.