RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Commentary: Disability Evaluations—Are the Evaluators Able?
JF Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online
JO J Am Acad Psychiatry Law
FD American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
SP 194
OP 196
VO 39
IS 2
A1 Stuart A. Anfang
YR 2011
UL http://jaapl.org/content/39/2/194.abstract
AB Disability assessments of patients are among the most common nontherapeutic evaluations requested of treating psychiatrists. Yet, there has been relatively little empirical analysis of how psychiatrists approach these evaluations in real clinical practice. Treating psychiatrists, those both with and without forensic expertise, struggle with the challenge of dual agency and overlapping therapeutic and forensic roles. Making the different roles clear to the patient can allow for more therapeutic exploration and alliance around further treatment goals, expectations, and interventions. Given the high prevalence of psychiatric disability and requested evaluations, psychiatric trainees would benefit from formal teaching, and it should be considered an important area for psychiatric continuing education.