Introduction to Practice Matters Special Section on VA Compensation and Pension Exams for PTSD and Other Mental Disorders

Abstract

As Section Editor, it is with considerable pleasure that Iintroduce the Practice Matters Section of PsychologicalInjury and the Law (PIL). The brainchild of PIL FoundingEditor-in-Chief Gerald Young, this section of the journalfeatures articles focusing on practical applications of thescience of psychological injury. The section concerns “onthe ground issues,” such as how to conduct examinations insuch areas as disability law, police-related assessments, andworkers compensation. It further plans to include new testreviews, how to use tests, and how to integrate developingcase law and new professional guidelines into one’s day-to-day psychological injury-related work. Consistent with themission of PIL, articles will incorporate the scientific under-pinnings fundamental to competent and ethical forensicpsychological and psychiatric practice.For its maiden voyage, the Practice Matters Sectionpresents a Special Section of three articles on Departmentof Veterans Affairs (VA) Compensation and Pension (C&P)examinations. While literally hundreds of these examinationsareconductedonanygivenworkday,tomyknowledge,therehasneverbeenacomprehensivetreatmentpublishedinapeerreviewed journal that describes how such examinationsshould be conducted in a manner consistent with standardforensic psychological and psychiatric practice. This SpecialSections provides such an opportunity and hopefully opensserious discussion and debate on this area of professionalpractice.TheSpecialSectionsopenswithattorneyandlawprofessorJames Ridgway’s review of the history and legal foundationfor VA C&P PTSD and mental disorders examinations, em-phasizingthevagariesandcomplexitiesofthisdisjointedareaof psychological injury law. His cogent description and anal-ysispresentsC&Ppsychological andpsychiatric practitionerswith a much-needed legal basis for these examinations, pro-viding legal information and guidance that is currently un-available in a single resource.Next comes the centerpiece of the Special Section,Worthen and Moering’s practical guide for conductingC&P PTSD and mental disorders examinations. The authorsgo into considerable detail about many aspects of theseexaminations, continually emphasizing a scientific and fac-tual basis for psycholegal opinions central to good forensicpsychological and psychiatric practice. For seasoned foren-sic psychological and psychiatric examiners, Worthen andMoering may seem quite basic at times. Please bear inmind that the current practice in C&P examinationsoften involves a simple, unstructured interview followedby a psychological report with a psycholegal opinionfrequently leading to lifetime financial award. Worthenand Moering acknowledge time and political pressureson C&P PTSD and mental disorders examiners, thoughopt for a scientifically and factual based approach tothese examinations.