Science, Bias, and Continuing to Educate

Abstract

This article introduces four papers in a special series on the role of science in mental health work and research in the area of psychological injury and law, and how it can help maintain an impartial stance in the adversarial divide that marks the field. Two of the articles are on malingering, and its assessment and two are issues related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). All the articles are based on comprehensive reviews of the recent literature. The first two articles find that the prevalence of malingering is not as high as the frequently cited value of 40 ± 10 %, yet tests used in concert may be effective in detecting it. The third article discusses the comorbidity of PTSD and substance use disorder, showing that the latter is most often the result of self-medication for the former. The fourth article explores the factor structure of the 20 PTSD symptoms in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition; American Psychiatric Association, 2013), showing that the research does not provide adequate support for the APA’s four-factor model. Clinical and forensic implications are discussed.