Assessment Options for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Abstract

The diagnosis of PTSD is frequently encountered in forensic contexts, especially in civil proceedings. The psychologist functioning as a consulting or expert witness must be familiar with convergent sources of data that will support the diagnosis or suggest alternative categories. The authors review a variety of assessment instruments including those that are broad-based and semi-structured, brief structured interviews for PTSD, self-report questionnaires, general psychological inventories, and projective markers. Consideration of pre-existing and co-morbid conditions is suggested for direct and cross-examination purposes along with deliberation about etiology.

Key Words:

• Forensic
• assessment
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)