Malingering and Deception Psychological Evaluations

in Chicago, Atlanta, and Fort Lauderdale

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Areas of Expertise

Malingering and Deception Psychological Evaluations

Psycholegal Assessments, Inc. specializes in conducting comprehensive malingering and deception psychological evaluations to assist courts, attorneys, and agencies in discerning the authenticity of reported psychological symptoms.  Psychological evaluations by forensic psychologist Dr. Steven Gaskell are grounded in empirical methods and tailored to address the complexities of each case.

Understanding Malingering and Deception

Malingering involves the intentional fabrication or exaggeration of psychological or physical symptoms for external gain, such as avoiding prosecution or obtaining financial compensation.  In forensic contexts, distinguishing genuine mental health conditions from feigned ones is crucial to ensure justice and appropriate treatment.

Malingering is not necessarily an either-or situation. The psychologist must be able to distinguish the actual psychological impairment or suffering from exaggerated or feigned symptoms. The detection of malingering requires clinical acumen, as well as sound psychological assessment and psychological testing. Psychologists need excellent clinical skills to detect the presence and extent of malingering during an evaluation and Dr. Gaskell has extensive experience in this area.

Our Evaluation Process

Our malingering and deception psychological evaluations involve:​

  • Clinical Interviews: Interview to assess symptom presentation and consistency.
  • General Psychological Testing: Utilization of validated instruments, such as the MMPI-3, to detect atypical response patterns indicative of deception.
  • Specialized Testing for Exaggeration and Malingering of Symptoms:  This could include such instruments as the SIRS-2; M-FAST; TOMM; MENT; SIMS
  • Collateral Information Review: Examination of medical, legal, and other records to corroborate reported symptoms.
  • Behavioral Observations: Monitoring for inconsistencies between reported symptoms and observed behavior.

Dr. Gaskell's expertise ensures a meticulous approach to identifying potential exaggeration and malingering, providing courts with reliable and objective findings.

Applications of Our Evaluations

Our assessments are instrumental in various legal scenarios, including:​

  • Competency to Stand Trial: Determining if a defendant is feigning symptoms to avoid trial or its consequences.
  • Insanity Defense Claims: Assessing the legitimacy of mental illness claims at the time of the alleged offense.
  • Personal Injury Cases: Evaluating the authenticity of psychological damage claims.
  • Disability Determinations: Verifying the validity of reported impairments.

Serving Multiple Jurisdictions

We offer malingering and deception psychological evaluations in:​

  • Illinois
  • Georgia
  • Florida​

Evaluations can be conducted in-person or via secure telehealth platforms, ensuring accessibility and convenience.

Schedule a Free Consultation

For expert malingering and deception psychological evaluations, contact Psycholegal Assessments, Inc. at:​

Or visit our Contact Page to request an appointment.​

Areas of Expertise

Competency to Stand Trial Psychological Evaluation - Psycholegal Assessments, Inc.
Competency to Stand Trial
Competency to Stand Trial, also known as Fitness to Stand Trial, is imperative for ensuring that a defendant can comprehend the nature and objective of the legal actions against them and actively cooperate with their defense attorney.
Sex Offender Psychosexual Evaluation
Psychosexual Evaluations
Psychosexual evaluations of sex offenders incorporate a comprehensive risk assessment utilizing actuarial instruments and other research-supported risk and protective factors. Notably, recidivism rates vary among sex offenders, with a significant portion never being re-convicted post-initial conviction.
Criminal Responsibility Psychological Evaluations - Psycholegal Assessments, Inc.
Criminal Responsibility
Criminal responsibility or sanity evaluations are critical when a defendant’s mental state at the time of committing an offense is in question. These evaluations can be initiated by the court, defense, or prosecution to establish a clear understanding of the defendant’s mental condition during the crime.
Independent Medical Examination Psychological Evaluation - Psycholegal Assessments, Inc.
Independent Medical Exam
An Independent Medical Exam is conducted by a psychologist without prior involvement in the individual’s care, ensuring an objective assessment without a therapist-patient relationship.
Miran
Miranda Rights & Confession Issues
The role of confessions and self-incriminating statements in criminal cases cannot be understated. Confessions are produced in about 50% of criminal cases, where suspects who provide self-incriminating statements are 26% more likely to be found guilty and convicted (Leo, 2006).
Malingering and Deception
Malingering and Deception
In the legal realm, psychological assessments can be compromised by malingering or deception, with individuals potentially presenting themselves dishonestly during interviews and tests to influence the outcome.
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Mitigating Factors
Mitigating factors consider the defendant’s mental state and historical mental disorders or psychological trauma, even when these do not qualify for an insanity defense, to argue for a reduced sentence. The contributions of evaluations and reports by experts like Dr. Steven Gaskell are vital for presenting such evidence.
Guilty But Mentally Ill Psychological Evaluation - Psycholegal Assessments, Inc.
Guilty But Mentally Ill (GBMI)
Introduced first in Michigan in 1975, the GBMI verdict was proposed to diminish the success rate of insanity defenses, offering a compromise verdict that, while seemingly compassionate, subjects the defendant to the same penalties as a guilty verdict.
Forensic Psychologist Expert Witness Dr. Steven Gaskell
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Forensic Psychologist | Dr. Steven Gaskell

Dr. Steven Gaskell is a Forensic Psychologist who provides comprehensive, objective, thorough and credible forensic psychological evaluations.  Forensic Psychological Evaluations are completed for state and federal courts.

👉 Contact Us for a Free Consultation

Dr. Steven Gaskell has over 25 years of extensive expertise as an expert witness in forensic psychology and specializes in forensic psychological evaluations.  Dr Gaskell:​

  • Is a Licensed Psychologist in Illinois, Georgia, Florida, Arizona, and Kansas.​
  • Is a holder of the PSYPACT Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) which allows him to provide psychosexual evaluations remotely online by telehealth across 39 States
  • Has completed over 3000 forensic psychological evaluations.
  • Has provided expert witness testimony on over 185 occasions.

Video Conferencing Available!

Psychological evaluations are now able to be completed by HIPAA compliant video conferencing.
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