Psychological Injuries: Forensic Assessment, Treatment, and Law (American Psychology-Law Society Series)

Human emotional suffering has been studied for centuries, but the significance of psychological injuries within legal contexts has only recently been recognized. As the public becomes increasingly aware of the ways in which mental health affects physical - and financial - well-being, psychological injuries comprise a rapidly growing set of personal injury insurance claims. Although the diverse range of problems that people claim to suffer from are serious and often genuine, the largely subjective and unobservable nature of psychological conditions has led to much skepticism about the authenticity of psychological injury claims. Improved assessment methods and research on the economic and physical health consequences of psychological distress has resulted in exponential growth in the litigation related to such conditions. Integrating the history of psychological injuries both from legal and mental health perspectives, this book offers compelling discussions of relevant statutory and case law. Focussing especially on posttraumatic stress disorder, it addresses the current status and empirical limitations of forensic assessments of psychological injuries and alerts readers to common vulnerabilities in expert evidence from mental health professionals. In addition, it also uses the latest empirical research to provide the best forensic methods for assessing both clinical conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder and for alternative explanations such as malingering. The authors offer state-of-the-art information on early intervention, psychological therapies, and pharmaceutical treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder and stimulating suggestions for further research into this complex phenomenon.A comprehensive guide to psychological injuries, this book will be an indispensable resource for all mental health practitioners, researchers, and legal professionals who work with psychological injuries. Human emotional suffering has been studied for centuries, but the significance of psychological injuries within legal contexts has only recently been recognized. As the public becomes increasingly aware of the ways in which mental health affects physical - and financial - well-being, psychological injuries comprise a rapidly growing set of personal injury insurance claims. Although the diverse range of problems that people claim to suffer from are serious and often genuine, the largely subjective and unobservable nature of psychological conditions has led to much skepticism about the authenticity of psychological injury claims. Improved assessment methods and research on the economic and physical health consequences of psychological distress has resulted in exponential growth in the litigation related to such conditions. Integrating the history of psychological injuries both from legal and mental health perspectives, this book offers compelling discussions of relevant statutory and case law. Focussing especially on posttraumatic stress disorder, it addresses the current status and empirical limitations of forensic assessments of psychological injuries and alerts readers to common vulnerabilities in expert evidence from mental health professionals. In addition, it also uses the latest empirical research to provide the best forensic methods for assessing both clinical conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder and for alternative explanations such as malingering. The authors offer state-of-the-art information on early intervention, psychological therapies, and pharmaceutical treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder and stimulating suggestions for further research into this complex phenomenon. A comprehensive guide to psychological injuries, this book will be an indispensable resource for all mental health practitioners, researchers, and legal professionals who work with psychological injuries. Contents......Page 10 1. Definition and History of the Concept of Psychological Injury......Page 14 2. Legal Contexts and Law Related to Psychological Injuries......Page 33 3. General Assessment Issues with Psychological Injuries......Page 60 4. Detecting Exaggeration and Malingering in Psychological Injury Claims......Page 87 5. Common Vulnerabilities in Psychological Evidence......Page 124 6. Gender, Trauma, and Distress......Page 153 7. Ethnocultural Minorities......Page 189 8. Prevention and Rehabilitation of Psychological Injuries......Page 222 9. Psychological Injury Cases......Page 246 10. Current Status and Future Trends......Page 262 References......Page 276 A......Page 320 C......Page 321 E......Page 322 H......Page 323 M......Page 324 P......Page 325 R......Page 326 T......Page 327 W......Page 328 Z......Page 329 The authors offer state-of-the-art information on early intervention, psychological therapies, and pharmaceutical treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder and stimulating suggestions for further research. A comprehensive guide to this complex phenomenon, this book will be an indispensable resource for all mental health practitioners, researchers, and legal professionals who work with psychological injuries."--Jacket This title describes the law related to forensic assessment of and treatment for psychological injuries, particularly posttraumatic stress disorder. A comprehensive guide to psychological injuries, it is suitable for mental health practitioners researchers, and legal professionals who work with psychological injuries Describes the law related to, forensic assessment of, and treatment for psychological injuries, particularly posttraumatic stress disorder. A comprehensive guide to psychological injuries, this book is suitable for mental health practitioners, researchers, and legal professionals who work with psychological injuries Psychological injuries are referred to in the main title of this book, implying that a great deal is known about them.