Description
Oxford University Press Inc Psychological Injuries Forensic Assessment, Treatment And Law by William J. Koch Kevin S. Douglas Tonia L. Nicholls Melanie L. O'neill
Human emotional suffering has been studied for centuries but the significance of psychological injuries within legal contexts has only recently been recognized. As the public becomes increasingly aware of the ways in which mental health affects physical - and financial - well-being psychological injuries comprise a rapidly growing set of personal injury insurance claims. Although the diverse range of problems that people claim to suffer from are serious and often
genuine the largely subjective and unobservable nature of psychological conditions has led to much skepticism about the authenticity of psychological injury claims. Improved assessment methods and research on the economic and physical health consequences of psychological distress has resulted in
exponential growth in the litigation related to such conditions.
Integrating the history of psychological injuries both from legal and mental health perspectives this book offers compelling discussions of relevant statutory and case law. Focussing especially on posttraumatic stress disorder it addresses the current status and empirical limitations of forensic assessments of psychological injuries and alerts readers to common vulnerabilities in expert evidence from mental health professionals. In addition it also uses the latest empirical research to
provide the best forensic methods for assessing both clinical conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder and for alternative explanations such as malingering. The authors offer state-of-the-art information on early intervention psychological therapies and pharmaceutical treatments for
posttraumatic stress disorder and stimulating suggestions for further research into this complex phenomenon.
A comprehensive guide to psychological injuries this book will be an indispensable resource for all mental health practitioners researchers and legal professionals who work with psychological injuries.