Can this marriage be saved? Personality assessment and clinical psychology in the 21st century

Abstract

This article examines the role of psychological assessment in modern clinical psychology. Based upon survey research, it is argued that there has been a decline in the importance of assessment in practice despite the recent increase in opportunities. Forensic psychology, outcome evaluation, and therapeutic assessment were identified as areas of opportunity. This decline has been attributed to changes in psychiatric practice, declining reimbursement for services, office expenses for assessment psychologists, and declining education and training in graduate schools. These trends are alarming because of the threat that they pose to the continued practice of psychological assessment. The importance of assessment for the identity of psychologists as well as for optimum treatment is stressed and several recommendations are made for increasing the visibility of assessment within psychology and for research designed to demonstrate its value. Trends in the United States are briefly compared with those in other countries, including Serbia.

Keywords

• psychological assessment
• clinical psychology
• forensic psychology
• outcome evaluation
• therapeutic assessment