Validity of Psyc evaluations?

[microbes]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? IL

The x was already found in contempt and is facing another 1. Our children are being exposed to environments/people that are unsafe.

How valid are these evaluations? The x's visitations has been suspended pending a psych eval. The judge appointed a free county doctor. How accurate are these evaluations and how much weight do they hold in court? The x has a history of mental illness during and prior to our marriage. I'm not sure if these evaluations will consider medical history at all and I'm sure since she's changed doctors so many times in the last year or so, it would be easy to conceal some history. Are these evaluations reliable? I mean can they truly determine a persons's state of mental health? I just can't help to think that a highly manipulative person, who's willing to lie in court and disobey orders could easily manipulate their answers to make it look like they are normal. Does anyone have any experience or opinions on this.

Thank you.

 

[mistoffolees]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? IL

The x was already found in contempt and is facing another 1. Our children are being exposed to environments/people that are unsafe.

How valid are these evaluations? The x's visitations has been suspended pending a psych eval. The judge appointed a free county doctor. How accurate are these evaluations and how much weight do they hold in court? The x has a history of mental illness during and prior to our marriage. I'm not sure if these evaluations will consider medical history at all and I'm sure since she's changed doctors so many times in the last year or so, it would be easy to conceal some history. Are these evaluations reliable? I mean can they truly determine a persons's state of mental health? I just can't help to think that a highly manipulative person, who's willing to lie in court and disobey orders could easily manipulate their answers to make it look like they are normal. Does anyone have any experience or opinions on this.

Thank you.

Depends on what the judge ordered and what the doctor will do. A 'psych evaluation' could be anything. What exactly was ordered?

IF a thorough evaluation is done by a competent mental health professional, the results can be very reliable. If he's any good, he will be able to recognize cheating. Most of the testing which is often used for this has questions designed to detect cheating or manipulation.

If properly done by a competent professional, the results will be valid. And the fact that the judge ordered it suggests strongly that the judge will pay attention to the results.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? IL

The x was already found in contempt and is facing another 1. Our children are being exposed to environments/people that are unsafe.

How valid are these evaluations? The x's visitations has been suspended pending a psych eval. The judge appointed a free county doctor. How accurate are these evaluations and how much weight do they hold in court? The x has a history of mental illness during and prior to our marriage. I'm not sure if these evaluations will consider medical history at all and I'm sure since she's changed doctors so many times in the last year or so, it would be easy to conceal some history. Are these evaluations reliable? I mean can they truly determine a persons's state of mental health? I just can't help to think that a highly manipulative person, who's willing to lie in court and disobey orders could easily manipulate their answers to make it look like they are normal. Does anyone have any experience or opinions on this.

Thank you.

They are quite accurate. Someone would have to be very experienced with psych evals in order to have any shot at faking their way through one.

 

[gam]

Has your ex ever been diagnosed with a mental disorder? And if yes, what mental disorder(s)?

 

[microbes]

she was diagnosed mostly with depression by 3 or 4 different doctors on seperate occassions. She was prescribed to take meds but refused to take them. Also had a breakdown and rushed herself to the ER. She was seeing a shrink when we started dating but I found that out later otherwise I would have ran for teh hills. History of domestic violence towards me and death and suicide acts/thoughts. All these info are in her med records which I'm sure she'll try to conceal. Maybe I'm giving her too much credit but she's very manipulative and is a pathological liar. She was caught on lies again last hearing so the judge didn't want more of it so he suspended visitations until she gets an eval.

The order states that she sees a specific doctor in the county. The judge said the eval will be for free and I'm just concerned that she might be given the free version of the eval as opposed to a more thorough and accurate evaluation.

 

[gam]

By free, it's free to your ex. Someone is paying, could be state funded or county funded, with taxpayer dollars. Sometimes courts have contracts with Dr's, mediators and such, for different things. The court will pays them according to the contract, using court fees and state and county money.

Evaluation should be a standard evaluation that psych Dr's use to access ones mental health. Won't be less cause it is free to mom. I am sure the Judge ordered this, as to be sure mom got the evaluation. Perhaps mom has little or no income, maybe no health insurance.

As with any profession, there are some bad psych Dr's out there, but more good then bad ones. So it will be difficult for mom to fool or lie her way through the evaluation. Some mental disorders are harder to diagnose then others, some can get away with fooling, even those eventually get caught though. Her med records would be important in helping with these disorders(personality disorders). But since the Judge is the one concerned here, and ordered this, if those med records get hidden, you can push for them to be used. A Judge has the ability to get these records and provide them to a Dr they order to evaluate.

So there would be still some things you could point out in court, if evaluation comes back good. Always in the end though up to the Judge what he does or does not do.

 

[mistoffolees]

By free, it's free to your ex. Someone is paying, could be state funded or county funded, with taxpayer dollars. Sometimes courts have contracts with Dr's, mediators and such, for different things. The court will pays them according to the contract, using court fees and state and county money.

Evaluation should be a standard evaluation that psych Dr's use to access ones mental health. Won't be less cause it is free to mom. I am sure the Judge ordered this, as to be sure mom got the evaluation. Perhaps mom has little or no income, maybe no health insurance.

As with any profession, there are some bad psych Dr's out there, but more good then bad ones. So it will be difficult for mom to fool or lie her way through the evaluation. Some mental disorders are harder to diagnose then others, some can get away with fooling, even those eventually get caught though. Her med records would be important in helping with these disorders(personality disorders). But since the Judge is the one concerned here, and ordered this, if those med records get hidden, you can push for them to be used. A Judge has the ability to get these records and provide them to a Dr they order to evaluate.

So there would be still some things you could point out in court, if evaluation comes back good. Always in the end though up to the Judge what he does or does not do.

While I agree that it's hard for someone to fool a good evaluator, I want to point out that even if Mom has a psychiatric disorder, it may not be something that will affect custody. My ex was diagnosed with histrionic personality disorder (which is very similar to narcissistic personality disorder) and it really has no bearing on whether she's a fit mother.

 

[Ohiogal]

Also were you ordered to take a psychological evaluation? Because quite frankly ANYONE who takes a psychological evaluation will most likely show signs of SOMETHING. That does not mean they are unfit or mentally incompetent. Depression, in and of itself, is not a major issue.

 

[LdiJ]

While I agree that it's hard for someone to fool a good evaluator, I want to point out that even if Mom has a psychiatric disorder, it may not be something that will affect custody. My ex was diagnosed with histrionic personality disorder (which is very similar to narcissistic personality disorder) and it really has no bearing on whether she's a fit mother.

To digress for a moment....why does that not surprise me at all? (your ex's diagnosis)...LOL.

 

[microbes]

Also were you ordered to take a psychological evaluation? Because quite frankly ANYONE who takes a psychological evaluation will most likely show signs of SOMETHING. That does not mean they are unfit or mentally incompetent. Depression, in and of itself, is not a major issue.

Nope I was NOT ordered to take an eval. The issue with her was that she refused to get help. She consistently lies in court and consistently gets busted and she files the silliest motions. Anyway, I really just wnat het to get help so my kid could spend more time with her. BTW, the new boyfriend is a pothead so the environment is not ideal for the children to be around in. what a mess I tell ya!