Psychological expert report: what is it and how is it done?

The field of psychology is quite broad, its application ranges from the clinic to countless other areas. Among them, forensic psychology stands out for having a series of characteristics and its own tools in which the interests of the people evaluated are not the most important thing. The psychological expert report is one of these tools.

Like the other psychological reports, this It is a scientific, legal, non-transferable and personal document. The main difference between the psychological expert report is that the process ends once the report has been delivered.

In this article we will see what a psychological expert report is and how it is made, its structure and characteristics.

• Related article: "Forensic psychology: definition and functions of the forensic psychologist"

When is a psychological expert report required

Specifically within the forensic branch of psychology, the psychological expert report is the culmination of the work done by the forensic psychology professional.

Thus, this document is made to inform judicial processes of the psychological characteristics of one or more people paying special attention to what this implies about the facts that are being investigated and that could lead to penalty.

Said report contains the information that has been collected in the forensic evaluation, and is subsequently sent to the authority that has requested it, either a judge or a prosecutor who requires the report to use it in court.

Taking into account that the psychological expert report is the achievement of the psychologist's work within this area, should be made with special care. Let's now see the considerations to take into account at the time of its preparation.

• You may be interested: "How to write a psychological report correctly, in 11 steps"

Drafting: how is it done?

First of all, it should be noted that this type of report It is aimed at people who do not belong to the guild of psychology, and therefore should not contain too many unexplained psychological terms; the clearer and more universal the language used in writing, the better.

The forensic psychologist who made the report must be prepared to appear at the hearing and respond as clearly as possible to all questions asked by the authorities present. That is why there must be verifiable and defensible evidence in the psychological expert report, and none of the relevant details in the case should be overlooked, as some of them could raise a question during the hearing.

The irrelevant aspects of the case should be avoided at all costs, as well as inaccuracies in the statements. The content of the document he must be totally coherent and arguable, otherwise the report could be declared invalid for the cause.

The forensic psychologist should not under any circumstances give a sentence towards the subject in question, since the psychological expert report must be free from all kinds of personal biases and opinions. The responsibility of the subject is the responsibility of the judge who will read the report. The psychological expert will only explain about the mental alterations that could give rise to the actions committed by the subject in question.

Its structure

The report should begin by stating that it is a forensic psychological report. After this, the emptying of the information begins in a structured way, as we will see below.

1. Identifying data of the expert and evaluated

They are the data of the forensic psychologist in charge of preparing the report.

2. Report reason

The purpose of the report and what is requested in the court order is quoted verbatim.

3. Methodology

The techniques used during the subject's evaluation process are mentioned and explained: direct observation, semi-structured interview, psychological tests…

4. Exposure of the information collected

It includes the family, personal, toxicological history, hygiene, sleep and eating habits of the subject, medical history and psychological history. At the end, it is clearly explained what the relevant antecedents are for the case and why.

Its fundamental characteristics

Apart from the aspects in the writing already mentioned, there are two essential characteristics for a correct communication of the results in the psychological expert report.

1. It is a scientific document

As such, it must meet the following criteria for validity.

• Being a procedure subject to rules that can only be applied by a professional of forensic psychology.
• The conditions set out in the report will only be of a psycho-legal nature, laid out in such a way that they can be understood by members of the court.
• The data contained within the report must be sufficient to be replicated by other forensic psychologists.

2. The document must comply with a series of legal characteristics

Must be written taking into account the constitutional guarantees and the laws of the country of residence. For example, in Spain it is according to the Criminal Procedure Law. It fulfills the function of evidence, that is, it serves as a guarantee for judicial decisions.

Final thoughts

The psychological expert report is an archival document that does not lose validity, that is, that serves as the basis for future evaluations, and it works as an antecedent to a specific situation in a person's life, to determine, for example, the date on which they had a psychotic episode.

Bibliographic references:

• COPC. (2014). Good Practice Guide for Forensic Psychological Evaluation and Expert Practice.
• Shapiro, D. L. (1984). Psychological Evaluation and Expert Testimony. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.