Is the medical-psychological report a scientific and objective document ?, which contains the results and conclusions of an expert opinion, so it must be considered a legal document, also carries special responsibility and those who prepare it may have to defend their conclusions in court, if necessary.
This defence does not imply that the report is wrong, but was established as such in the context of a judicial process, below is an example of a forensic psychological report that can help us understand them a little better. .
- The reason for the investigation must be put forward by the judicial body.
- Which requests it.
- As far as possible.
- In a clear.
- Precise and concrete manner.
Delivery time is not indicated in the report, but for practical reasons it should be placed here as the entire procedure depends on the time available, the person or persons to be evaluated and the circumstances.
Basic user data is included. The expertise usually revolves around a person, however, the time available to develop the expertise does not allow interviewing others who can provide relevant information to meet the demand (reason for the expertise).
Therefore, it will depend on your professional judgment and sometimes on the simple and pure logic of the case.
It shall include the following data
Names and surnames;
Date and place of birth;
Instruction;
Occupation;
Marital status;
Speak to;
Phone.
In this example, we have the user and two other people who will be evaluated:
Here are some of the main elements of the methodology
It is a summary of the information that motivates the experience. This is essential to understand the nature of the “problem”, the relevance of the experience and the possible scope of the experience. This information comes mainly from documents.
Family history, if recorded, is included in interviews because they are part of the results.
First, the techniques and instruments applied indicating the day and time of application are ordered chronologically, and the duration of the session and the results obtained without interpreting them are included, as is done in the results integration part.
You can join the Results and Result Integration section by describing them in that order. Results are considered specific and relevant information to fulfill the purpose of the experience.
The type of result should be consistent with what should be studied in the Tools or Evaluation Protocol section, it is necessary to respect the order of evaluation chosen (child, mother, parent) and the application of the selected techniques and instruments.
Finally, the person drafting a forensic report should be careful not to give the nature of the truth or to make comments or statements that have no medical, legal or administrative value, or that have not been irrefutably verified.
In such cases, it is necessary to use phrases such as: “according to the lady’s opinion”, “according to you”, “according to the document”, “according to the words of the lady”, “said the child”.
The objective is to integrate all the relevant information obtained, giving it a logical meaning, which will allow the psychologist to draw conclusions consistent with the above.
On many occasions, the professional must use theoretical elements or scientific data to ensure that the reader understands the interpretation of the results. If we are in this position, remember that it is necessary to record the corresponding citations and include the complete source in the References. section.
First, it must contain a clear and precise answer to the questions that motivated the investigation, recognizing the level of objectivity and integrity of the information.
In any event, it is best to note that, in the report, each inference is accompanied by a judgment of certainty on one’s own inference, highlighting the margin of error attributed to it by the person who drafted the report.
In the conclusions of a forensic report we can also find the resources available to the expert, because in many cases they are precisely associated with the margin of error mentioned above.
Some of them can be: time, logistical facilities, access to the necessary people, collaboration of users who participate in the expertise, age or mental state of the evaluator, etc.
They are only indicated if they are required by the judicial authority and included in the expert, or if the expert considers it necessary for the authority to be aware of this in the medical-psychological report.
However, they are often linked to treatment suggestions, new evaluations, obtaining additional information for better case assessment, useful information for the adoption of protective measures, etc.
Finally, references are also necessary in the forensic psychological report. In addition, they are very important because they allow us to consult the theoretical, technical and scientific sources used by the expert to develop the expertise and prepare the report.
Sometimes, depending on the relevance of the case or the complexity of the information collected, you may want to attach videos, tests, questionnaires, drawings, documents, etc.
It is not common to attach valuation documents, as they are only delivered if formally requested by the judge, prosecutor or lawyers, so if they are included in the report it is necessary to list them (Annexes 1, 2, 3?) And to explain what everyone is all about.
In this article we briefly summarize the recommended sections for a psychological forensic report, if you need to develop it you should always keep in mind where the information should go, what to do with it and to what extent it can be inferred.
In the field of forensic psychology, the expert’s conclusions may tip the scales, however, the judge will always have the final decision.