The SIRS-2: Personality Assessment

(Resnick, 1997) stated that when a clinician is assessing an individual for malingering, a thorough clinical interview and precise behavioural observations are completed prior to the administration of any psychometric tools. According to (Conroy & Kwartner, 2006), persistent observation of a patient suspected of malingering is often the best method of identifying inconsistencies within a patient’s symptoms report, especially with a defendant who is uncooperative or not communicative at all.
Content areas that are typically covered in a clinical interview include but are not limited to: psychiatric history, including reason for admission and family history of mental illness, developmental issues, medical conditions, substance abuse history,
However, in some cases, the SIRS-2 might misclassify the examinee, which will limit the SIRS-2 applicability. For example, traumatized patients with a broad array of presenting symptoms, especially those who report childhood trauma and dissociative symptoms have been misclassified.
Lastly, empirically supported and widely used objective personality assessment measures such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI- 2) and the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) include several validity scales that can assist in whether a patient is putting forth a genuine or false image of him/herself. The PAI is a test that assesses an individual’s personality structure as well as degree of current psychopathology. The PAI has three scales designed to detect feigning among test responders that includes the
Negative Impression scale (NIM), the Malingering Index (MAL), and the Rogers Discriminant Function
In the case of Thabiso Prince Montsho, he stated that he had killed the deceased after ‘hearing noises in his ears’ the trial court ordered that he be examined and evaluated at Weskoppies Hospital in terms of ss77-79 of the CPA.
Jacobus Coetzee a clinical psychologist evaluated the accused on the request of the court as the accused was under observation at the Weskoppies Hospital. In the psychological interview the accused reported to Coetzee that the voices usually scream at him during the night throwing him with birds and chickens. The voices also tell him to hang himself with the wire cable or cut himself and sometimes fight with people.
Coetzee immediately conducted a psychometric test on the accused.
Assessments have been developed to assist evaluators in validly determining the level of a patient’s legal knowledge, ability to make legal decisions, and their ability to rationally work with their attorney to prepare their