Evidence-based Assessment in Clinical Psychology

Pertemuan 6

Matakuliah : Psikologi DiagnostikTahun : 2010

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Types of Referral Setting• Throughout the assessment process, practitioners should try to understand the unique problems and demands encountered in different referral settings.• Clinicians also need to specify the relevance of the psychological evaluation in determining different alternatives and their possible outcomes.

Clinical Assessment• Perhaps the most common ones are individuals

who are self-referred and are seeking relief from psychological turmoil. For most of these individuals, extensive psychological testing is not relevant and, in fact, may be contraindicated because the time spent in testing is usually time that could best be applied toward treatment.

• Psychological assessment can be conducted for a number of purposes (e.g., diagnosis, treatment evaluation)

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Ethical Practice of Assessment• Criticism has been directed at the use of tests in

inappropriate contexts, confidentiality, cultural bias, invasion of privacy, and the continued use of tests that are inadequately validated.

• Labeling and restriction of freedom*

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Problems and Limitations in Clinical Assessment

• Problems with Some Commonly Taught and Used Tests

• Problems in Test Selection and Inadequate Assessment

• Problems in Test Interpretation• Limited Evidence for Treatment Utility of

Commonly Used Tests

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Evidence-based Assessment of Specific Conditions/Disorders

Three critical aspects should define EBA (Hunsley & Mash 2005, Mash & Hunsley 2005):• Research findings and scientifically viable theories on both

psychopathology and normal human development should be used to guide the selection of constructs to be assessed and the assessment process.

• psychometrically strong measures should be used to assess the constructs targeted in the assessment 1

• the entire process of assessment 2 should be empirically evaluated.

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