Adult Psychopathology Paper
Psychological assessments can be very useful diagnostic and clinical tools when they are used properly and can simplify unclear information, elicit previously unavailable data, and add objectivity, validity, and reliability to interactions and records of clients. In forensic settings, where impaired populations are extremely common, the three most widely used types of multiscale inventories, or objective tests, used to assess adult psychopathology include: the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2), the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III). All three of these assessments evaluate different aspects of an individual’s functioning and/or personality based on how they respond.
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This assessment can be used with an array of inpatient and outpatient clients, however it is important that these individuals are screened to have at least an 8th grade reading level prior to completing the assessment and should also have an adequate level of concentration, in order to ensure they are able to complete the lengthy assessment. One of the benefits of this assessment is its ability to evaluate response styles in cases where the clinician may have concerns about malingering, defensiveness, lying, etc. Aside from screening for response styles, the MMPI-2 also offers clinical descriptions based on the individual’s code-type, which is comprised from a combination of the individuals most elevated …show more content…
Additionally, the PAI has other advantages over the MMPI-2 such as allowing for four different responses, versus strictly being able to answer true and false. The PAI also offers items that are more easily comprehensible, requiring only a 4th grade reading level and is far less complicated to interpret than the MMPI-2, which may lead to more consistent interpretations among mental health professionals. However, the PAI assesses useful patterns of psychopathology related to the DSM-IV diagnoses, which may be problematic since clinicians now use the DSM-V, as well as its failure to account for inclusion and exclusion
This assessment can be used with an array of inpatient and outpatient clients, however it is important that these individuals are screened to have at least an 8th grade reading level prior to completing the assessment and should also have an adequate level of concentration, in order to ensure they are able to complete the lengthy assessment. One of the benefits of this assessment is its ability to evaluate response styles in cases where the clinician may have concerns about malingering, defensiveness, lying, etc. Aside from screening for response styles, the MMPI-2 also offers clinical descriptions based on the individual’s code-type, which is comprised from a combination of the individuals most elevated …show more content…
Additionally, the PAI has other advantages over the MMPI-2 such as allowing for four different responses, versus strictly being able to answer true and false. The PAI also offers items that are more easily comprehensible, requiring only a 4th grade reading level and is far less complicated to interpret than the MMPI-2, which may lead to more consistent interpretations among mental health professionals. However, the PAI assesses useful patterns of psychopathology related to the DSM-IV diagnoses, which may be problematic since clinicians now use the DSM-V, as well as its failure to account for inclusion and exclusion