Literacy limitations to psychological evaluation tools: The case of MU

Abstract

In this case, a survivor of torture presentswith symptoms clinically consistent withboth major depressive disorder (MDD)and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).During her evaluation, a validated psychologicalquestionnaire for PTSD was administeredverbally through a translator andaccurately identified this diagnosis. However,a self-administered (read and completed bythe client) questionnaire for MDD vastly underestimatedthe severity of her symptomsand failed to diagnose her with depression.The client had not completed grade school,so it is likely that her literacy level impactedthe accuracy of this questionnaire. This highlightsone of the many limitations that existwhen administering psychological surveys.Through understanding these limitations,forensic evaluators can develop ways toidentify, mitigate, and overcome limitationsof these useful tools.