Ethical Issues Involved in Psychological Assessments
It is important to note from the onset that those who seek the intervention of a psychologist either do so at their own behest or are sent by other people, i.e. attorneys, relatives, or employers. Over time, numerous challenges psychologists contend with in the course of conducting assessments have been identified and widely discussed. For this reason, the relevance of conducting an evaluation of the various ethical issues involved in psychological assessments cannot be overstated.
To be regarded true professionals, psychologists must be aware of the various ethical challenges they are likely to face in their day-to-day interactions with clients and/or their sponsors. While in some cases they could find solutions to the ethical challenges they face by relying on mere personal intuition or via consultations with other professionals in the same field, psychologists must not forget that there are several ethical principles and guidelines that govern their practice. Some of these principles and guidelines are clearly outlined in the American Psychological Association's Ethical Code.
The first ethical issue I am going to address in this case has got to do with the competency of the psychologist. It is important to note that due to the impact their reports could have on the client's well-being going forward, psychologists must not assume responsibilities for which they are not fully qualified. As Graham (2003, p.173) observes, psychologists have an ethical responsibility to indicate "any significant reservations they have about the accuracy or limitations of their interpretations…" The right thing a psychologist who is not very familiar with the MMPI should do when it is necessary to make use of such an approach is make referrals. Further, the psychologist should not shy away from discussing his or her competencies with either the client or the sponsor. To ensure that their skills are up-to-date, practitioners could amongst other things engage in professional development skills including but not limited to formal...
Competence, most particularly for students, could also be gathered through supervised practice and experience. However, according to the American Psychological Association -- APA (2013), in those instances where psychologists delegate work to juniors, care must be taken to ensure that the said juniors are competent.
Next, we have confidentiality. It is not uncommon for both psychologists and their clients to be concerned about the confidentiality of reports or other info gathered during therapy. For instance, who should be allowed access to the said info and who should not? Does an employer for instance have the right to information generated during an employee's therapy sessions? In basic terms, it is recommended that the contents of reports be kept confidential. However, as with many basic rules, this particular recommendation does have exceptions which are in most cases mandated by court, federal, or state decisions. It is important that the psychologist be aware of these exceptions. Unlike psychotherapy where clients are more likely than not to seek help by themselves, psychological evaluation according to Graham (2003, p.165) is "seldom performed solely at the request of a single individual." As the author further points out, individuals could be referred to psychologists by their employers, attorneys, or even teachers. In this case the author is of the opinion that psychologist do not necessarily owe their clients explanatory feedback. Such feedback should be channeled to the relevant referees. However, the client should be made aware of such an intention prior to the evaluation (Graham, 2003). Also, when the disclosure of information that would ordinarily be considered private and confidential could prevent harm from occurring, a psychologist should by all chances use the relevant channels to make such information available (Hersen, 2011). A good example of a scenario that may necessitate such disclosure is when a client claims of being abusive towards his or her children. The nature of abuse could in this case assume various forms including but not limited…
