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Effort testing in contemporary UK neuropsychological practice
Renee J McCarter1, Nigel H Walton, D Neil Brooks
1NPsych Clinical Neurosciences Partnership, 133 Long Ashton Road, Bristol BS41 9JQ, UK. rjmccarter@npsych.co.uk
The Clinical Neuropsychologist
|February 25, 2009
Summary
Neuropsychologists frequently use symptom validity testing (SVT) in legal assessments (59%) but less so in clinical settings (15%). UK practices show moderate differences from North America, with diverse methods employed.
Area of Science:
- Neuropsychology
- Psychological Assessment
Background:
- Symptom validity testing (SVT) is crucial for distinguishing genuine cognitive impairments from feigned ones in neuropsychological evaluations.
- Understanding current practices in SVT use is essential for standardizing assessment protocols and ensuring accurate diagnoses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey current practices regarding the use of symptom validity testing (SVT) in clinical and legal neuropsychological assessments among members of the British Psychological Society Division of Neuropsychology.
- To compare UK practices with those in North America and identify favored SVT methods and justifications for their use or non-use.
Main Methods:
- An email survey was distributed to 588 members of the British Psychological Society Division of Neuropsychology.
- Responses were received from 130 practicing neuropsychologists detailing their use of SVT in clinical and legal contexts.
Main Results:
- 59% of respondents frequently use SVT in legal assessments, while only 15% employ them in clinical assessments.
- UK practices in SVT use frequency show moderate differences compared to North America.
- A greater diversity of SVT methods was observed in the UK compared to North America.
Conclusions:
- SVT is predominantly utilized in legal neuropsychological assessments within the UK.
- While UK practices are broadly similar to North America in frequency, there is notable diversity in the specific methods employed.
- Further research into the rationales for SVT use and non-use can inform clinical guidelines and training.
