Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms-2nd Edition (SIRS-2): Use and Admissibility in Forensic Mental Health Assessment

Abstract

Assessment of symptom feigning is paramount in forensic psychological and psychiatric assessment. The Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms, 2nd Edition (SIRS-2; Rogers et al., 2010) is a revised edition to the original SIRS (Rogers et al., Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS) and professional manual. Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc, 1992) and was developed to assess feigned psychiatric symptoms. The current paper reviews use of the SIRS-2 in forensic assessment, specifically addressing topics such as translations of the instrument, its use in assessing psychiatric and cognitive feigning, and its use in special populations. Empirical foundation and psychometric properties of the SIRS-2 is also covered. The SIRS-2 was revised in part to reduce false positive classifications of feigning. Research suggests that this goal was largely accomplished, albeit at the expense of reduced sensitivity. The paper also provides a review of federal and state appellate cases that mention the SIRS-2. Notably, most cases that cite the SIRS-2 do not actually center on the SIRS-2, and the test’s admissibility has never been outrightly challenged. The paper concludes with a discussion of expert testimony concerning the SIRS-2.

Notes

1 Many manuscripts include the term “malingering” and “malingering tests,” when in reality the authors are discussing the topic of feigning of mental health symptoms. Psychological measures like the SIRS/SIRS-2 only assess symptom feigning and response bias/dissimulation. The assessment of malingering involves ascertaining the motivation behind the feigning, which is beyond the scope of feigning instruments.

2 Heilbrun et al. (2002) developed a test classification system for instruments used in forensic mental health assessment. Forensically relevant instruments do not directly assess constructs related to psycholegal issues (e.g., competency to stand trial), but rather assess constructs generally relevant to forensic issues (e.g., response bias).

3 In relation to the SIRS/SIRS-2, sensitivity is the probability that an individual who has feigned symptoms of mental illness is identified (classified) as feigning mental illness by the SIRS/SIRS-2 scores. Specificity is the probability that an individual who did not feign symptoms of mental illness is not identified as feigning symptoms of mental illness (Genuine responding classification) by the SIRS/SIRS-2 scores. The false positive rate is also reflected as 1—specificity (i.e., a specificity rate of 90% is equivalent to a false positive rate of 10%).