Mental health assessment refers to the evaluation of various aspects of an individual’s psychological or mental functioning. In criminal justice contexts, mental health assessments may be required or requested for a variety of reasons, from guiding basic mental health treatment for accused or convicted individuals to answering specific legal questions such as those related to criminal responsibility. This entry introduces the topic of mental health assessment in general, provides an overview of types of mental health assessments offered in criminal justice settings, and introduces the concept of symptom validity and malingering assessment.

Mental Health

To understand the role of mental health assessments in criminal psychology, one must first have a basic understanding of mental health and mental health assessments more generally. Mental health is a term that ...

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