Ms. Tylers Psychological Examination - Case Study Example

? LASA Case Scenario (Ms. Tyler’s Case) of Introduction It is very important for Ms. Tyler to undergo a psychological examination before being judged in order to determine exactly what led her to committing that crime. From the case scenario, it is clear that some of her siblings had tested positive for psychological disorders. It can be suspected that Kate could be suffering from a psychological disorder that has not had a full manifestation. It is hard to determine the condition without carrying out an extensive psychological assessment. This is a problem solving process through which professionals are able to determine basic components of an individual’s mental problem (Anastasi & Urbina, 2003). It can be used to identify both the weaknesses and the strengths of a person. Psychological assessment can only be used to study the present function of a person, not for future prediction. It is not carried out as a single test but rather it encompasses numerous research-based tests of examining the psychological makeup of an individual. Psychological Tests For Ms. Tyler I could recommend the following tests: Clinical interview, Behavioral assessment and personality assessment. Cohen and Swerdlik (2001) explain that these are very important tests when carrying out a psychological assessment since through them a professional can be able to collect important family background information of the victim. The most recommended is clinical interview since it gives first hand information on the patient’s background. It usually takes duration of one to two hours and mostly occurs in the professional’s office. In basic terms, clinical interview can be termed as a session of information gathering, which can help the professional to present an appropriate diagnosis. During the interview, the professional will ask particular questions relating to the client’s life stages and development. Clinical interviews can sometimes be done through computers where a person answers computerized questions in the professional’s office, instead of face to face conversation with the professional (Goldstein & Hersen, 2000). The assessment usually gathers demographic information though it can also be used to collect structured diagnostic information. In this case scenario, a psychologist can use this method to dig deeper into the issues surrounding Ms. Tyler’s family. 5 Axis DSM-IV-TR Diagnoses Ms. Tyler’s psychological problem can be classified under Axis V (Global Assessment of functioning). This is because she portrays the following characteristics: she seems to be functioning normally with a few or no symptoms of any psychological problems (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2001). She has been living well with people around her though those close to her observe some abnormal characteristics such as persecutory delusions and loose associations. She also has emotional difficulties, which might explain why she reacted violently in this situation. From the case it is mentioned that she is violent and in fact at one point she threatened to kill her niece with a knife. Furthermore, she can be considered to be impaired when testing reality because she seems to be forgetful and denies almost everything she is asked (Goldstein & Hersen, 2000). For instance, though she is currently undergoing medication, she denies about any past psychiatry treatment. Psycho Legal Issues The legal system is out to restore justice in society by punishing offenders. Legally, Ms. Tyler committed a very serious crime that normally can see her being sentenced to life in imprison. According to the law, a person who commits murder is expected to spend the rest of his/her life in prison. Kate did not kill a single person but killed five of them. However, under psychological ethics, it is not right to condemn a mentally impaired person since it might be doing her more harm than good. Before reaching the verdict, it will be important for Kate to undergo a psychiatric examination to ascertain her mental situation (Anastasi & Urbina, 2003). Being told that some of her siblings have shown positive psychiatric signs, it might be possible that Kate too is mentally impaired. The legal system will not be doing her justice if she is judged just as a normal person. Tests to be Administered i) Behavioral test This is an observing or measuring process where an individual’s behavior is examined in order to try and understand better the behavior. It is an analysis of a behavior committed by a person, as you try to ascertain the thoughts behind the behavior and what exactly triggered the behavior. This is mostly done during an interaction between a professional and the individual under assessment (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2001). It does not require asking questions as such, but rather focus on observing the victim during interaction. For instance, a professional psychologist can be assigned to study how Ms. Tyler behaves as she is being interviewed. A person is observed under a natural setting and notes taken, in order to avoid modification of behavior by the individual. It aims to determine negative/positive behaviors and their respective triggers. Self-monitoring can also be used to carry out Kate’s behavioral assessment by asking her to keep a diary of her moods for some time (Goldstein & Hersen, 2000). ii) Personality test. This test is used for the professional to better understand the victim’s personality. Anastasi and Urbina (2003) assert that an individual’s personality is brought about by factors that combine during childhood and teenage periods. Personality cannot be shaped by a single influence but is rather determined by other factors such as social factors, genes and environment. Personality tests can be carried out in two ways: objective and projective. The objective personality is used to measure personality dysfunction and the common test used under this is called MMPI-2. It is used in the identification of the appropriate label of psychiatric diagnosis. On the other hand, projective test consists of five cards white and black in color which a professional use to ask the victim what she/he sees. These tests are used to identify what occurs most in a person’s life, their reasoning capability and their unconscious reflection (Framingham, 2012). This assessment can be used to explain whether Ms. Tyler was in her right senses when committing the crime. Other Information Needed For the Legal Criteria for Insanity From the information given, one can say that it is almost certain that Ms. Tyler has a mental problem. Nevertheless, psychologists need to gather as much information as they can in order for them to make a correct conclusion (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2001). Information related to how Ms. Tyler and Ms. Mobly used to relate before the incidence is very critical in the analysis of this case. This can be used to determine how the two used to converse, and Tyler’s responses in particular can be given a critical analysis. The occurrence of the crime can also be studied in details by trying to determine the exact events that lead to the awful actions being taken by Kate. Her IQ as well cannot go unexamined because it is the core determinant in reasoning (Goldstein & Hersen, 2000). Finally, previous information on how Ms. Tyler has been handling cases of her psychosocial stressors can also be brought forth. Other Information Needed For Competence to Stand Trial From the case study, Kate seems to be giving false information because her account of events is contradictory to the three witnesses’ story. However, it is not clear if Kate is really honest when she says she does not remember. We also see her being concerned about the court’s action if she gave some accounts. This concern may say that Kate is reasoning well since she is scared about the consequences of her actions. From her psychosocial information, we understand that she is literate and has held different types of jobs without any problem. However, more is needed to decide whether she is able to stand trial, for instance her employer can be asked to narrate her relationship with him and other employers (Framingham, 2012). All these information say a lot about her behavior and personality and it can be used to determine the sanity of Ms. Tyler. Court’s Outcomes and Rationale The court’s interest is to bring about justice using whatever means so as to restrain the defendant from committing the same crimes n the future. Having ascertained Ms. Tyler’s psychological disorder, the court will have no choice but to give time for the patient to undergo therapy (Cohen & Swerdlik, 2001). It will do this in order to be able to try the Ms. Tyler after the therapeutic exercise is over, and she is declared normal. The legal system cannot let a murderer to get away with a murder case because they believe the person will repeat the same in the future. However, they may consider judging Tyler fairly by reducing the sentence. This is simply because she was not in her right senses when she was committing the crime. They believe by so doing the accusers will feel the administration of justice instead of letting free the person who caused the so much pain. While under custody her behavior will be monitored and molded for the better so as to prepare her for the outside world. Ethical Issues in This Case and a Solution According to ethics justice is very crucial for the peaceful co-existence of individuals in society. If people are denied justice then those people will live lamenting their legal systems. In this case, a murder is committed by an individual who is considered to be mentally sick. Ethics on the other hand, emphasizes on the trial of a person who is normal since that is the fair thing to do. This is really a dilemma as the case presents two ethical contradictory situations. We all know that when justice is delayed, is the same as denied. One can only be left wondering what to do under this condition. Here compromise has to come in and delay justice as Ms. Tyler tries to recover her mental sanity. It will be so unreasonable to try someone who is mentally sick. This may bring about inconsistence during trial as well as false information. According to Framingham (2012), the court should wait for Ms. Tyler to undergo complete therapy and thereafter judge her fairly. Moreover, the accusers should be made to understand why exactly things are taking that course in order for them not to feel undermined. References Anastasi, A., & Urbina, S. (2003). Psychological testing. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall. Cohen, R. J., & Swerdlik, M. E. (2001). Psychological testing and assessment: An introduction to tests and measurement. Mountain View, Calif. [u.a.: Mayfield Publ. Framingham, J. (2012). Types of psychological Testing. Psych Central. Retrieved on July 3rd 2012 from: http://psychcentral.com/lib/2011/types-of-psychological-testing/all/1/ Goldstein, G., & Hersen, M. (2000). Handbook of psychological assessment. Amsterdam: Pergamon. Read More