Psychometric Assessment Tools Research Articles

Emotion regulation difficulties and problematic mukbang watching: The mediating role of psychological distress and impulsivity

There is accumulating evidence that mukbang (i.e., eating broadcasts) watching may be another emerging online behaviour that has the potential to become uncontrolled and harmful among a small number of individuals. However, there is still a large gap in the literature regarding the psychological and mental health predictors of problematic mukbang watching. Due to the paucity of research, the present study investigated the emotional and psychological correlates of problematic mukbang watching (PMW) including emotion regulation difficulties (ERDs), impulsivity facets (i.e., negative urgency, positive urgency, sensation seeking, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance), and psychological distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress). A total of 513 adults (54% female; Mage = 32.05 years, SD = 11.14) who watched mukbang in the past seven days completed a survey including psychometric assessment tools for the aforementioned variables. ERDs were directly and indirectly related to PMW via anxiety and positive urgency. Daily time spent watching mukbang was also moderately positively associated with PMW. Consequently, the present study suggests that individuals with emotional and psychological impairments may use PMW as a maladaptive coping strategy.

Development and Psychometric Assessment of the Dyslexia Awareness Instrument in Teachers

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. Teachers may not be very sure about the definition of dyslexia and generally struggle to tell the difference between dyslexic learners and slow learners. Developing the DyAwI may provide an important psychometric assessment tool in determining the awareness level of the teacher and being able to make this distinction. A descriptive, explorative design was used in this study. The study consisted of two main phases. In the first phase, in order to develop the instrument, a literature review and a pilot study on 20 primary school teachers were carried out, and in line with expert opinions, the content validity index was calculated. In the second stage, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were carried out to identify the construct validity and reliability. The study included 182 primary school teachers for the second stage. The KMO and Bartlett test values, which determine the suitability of DyAwI for factor analysis, were found to be 0.77 and 0.000, respectively. The overall Cronbach’s alpha value of DyAwI was .75. As a result of the assessment of its construct validity, the scale consisted of 2 factors and 14 items. The findings of the study show that the tool is reliable and sufficient. The instrument is easy to understand, and this tool can determine the dyslexia awareness levels of teachers. DyAwI could promote teachers’ awareness of dyslexia and support the early identification of primary school students with dyslexia. It is believed that, thanks to the data obtained from the instrument, teachers will be able to decide on an educational assessment of a student with reading difficulties more quickly.

Dysphagia, mealtime behaviors, and eating ability of persons living with dementia: A systematic review of psychometric properties of instruments

AbstractBackgroundIt is critical to use validated instruments to assess dysphagia, mealtime behaviors, and eating ability of persons living with dementia to evaluate the efficacy of mealtime care interventions. However, the characteristics and psychometric quality of such instruments are unknown. This systematic review aims to synthesize the quantity and quality of instruments that assess dysphagia, mealtime behaviors, and eating ability of persons living with dementia.MethodWe searched Pubmed, CINAHL, AgeLine, PsychINFO, and Cochrane Library for records published from January 1980 to July 30th, 2021. Records were eligible if they included any instrument that measures concepts of interest (i.e., dysphagia, mealtime behaviors, eating ability). Instruments were excluded if they assessed nutritional status only. Eligible instruments originally developed or later modified to measure concepts of interest were identified from eligible records. Eight characteristics of eligible instruments will be extracted: 1) development process, 2) concept/construct being operationalized, 3) sample and setting, 4) administration method, 5) description of items, 6) scoring format/interpretation, 7) reliability, and 8) validity. The Psychometric Assessment for Self‐report and Observational Tools (PAT), a newly developed psychometric quality assessment tool, will be used to evaluate the psychometric quality of eligible instruments.ResultIn total, 11,074 records were reviewed. Seventy‐nine eligible instruments were identified from 174 records. Fifteen instruments assessed swallowing ability; 5 assessed mastication ability; 6 assessed dysphagia; 24 assessed mealtime behaviors; 7 assessed eating ability; 22 assessed two or more concepts of interest.ConclusionA large number of instruments were developed and/or used to assess dysphagia, mealtime behaviors, and eating ability of persons living with dementia. All instruments’ psychometric properties will be further evaluated to inform the application and adaption of appropriate instruments for practice and research.

Metacognition in schizophrenia: A practical overview of psychometric metacognition assessment tools for researchers and clinicians.

Metacognition refers to the cognitive ability to control, monitor and modulate cognitive processes thus guiding and orienting behavior: a continuum of mental activities that ranges from more discrete ones, such as the awareness of the accuracy of others' judgment, to more integrated activities, such as the knowledge of cognitive processes. Metacognition impairment in schizophrenia, which is considered a core feature of the illness, has become a growing research field focusing on a wide range of processes including reasoning, autobiographical memory, memory biases, cognitive beliefs and clinical insight. There is a well-established relationship between metacognition and schizophrenia symptoms severity, as well as between impaired metacognitive functioning and specific symptomatic sub-domains, such as positive symptoms, negative symptoms, or disorganization. The development of specific cognitive-derived psychotherapies for metacognitive deficits in schizophrenia has been ongoing in the last years. Although sharing a metacognitive feature, these treatments focus on different aspects: false or unhelpful beliefs for metacognitive therapy; cognitive biases for metacognitive training; schematic dysfunctional beliefs for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for psychoses; metacognitive knowledge and sense of identity for MERIT; interpersonal ideas or events triggering delusional thinking for MIT-P. This article reviews the instruments designed to assess metacognitive domains and functions in individuals with schizophrenia, providing mental health professionals with an overview of the heterogeneous current scenario ranging from self-administered scales to semi-structured interviews, which are supported by a variety of theoretical frameworks. Future directions may address the need for more specific and refined tools, also able to follow-up psychotherapeutic-induced improvements.

Work Addiction and Its Relation with Dark Personality Traits: A Cross-sectional Study with Private Sector Employees

AbstractPersonality traits have been extensively studied to understand different behavioral addictions. However, less is known about the relationship of employees’ dark personality traits and work addiction. The purpose of the present study was to examine the associations between the Big Five personality traits (i.e., extroversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness) and dark personality traits (i.e., narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, sadism, and spitefulness) with work addiction. A total of 514 private sector employees completed a survey that included psychometric assessment tools for the aforementioned variables. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that lower extroversion, lower openness to experience, higher narcissism, and higher spitefulness were positively associated with work addiction among private sector employees. The findings of the present study suggest that dark personality traits should also be taken into account in order to better understand work addiction among employees.

Goals and Plans Card Sort Task: A Psychometric Assessment Tool to Measure and Support Life Goal Pursuits in People Who've Offended

Models of offender motivation to change exist, however there is a lack of theory-driven psychometric tools that measure motivational constructs to support offenders in positive life goal pursuits. This research extends the Personal Concerns Inventory (Offender Adaptation), presenting a Goals and Plans tool that supports users to: identify and prioritize goals in life domains of importance to them; detail how a goal can be attained; and consider obstacles to attainment. Literature informed the benchmark for the tool, which was evaluated through implementation in Prisons (n = 62) and Approved Premises (n = 105) across Wales, UK. Results indicate that goals in the life domains of Home & Future Living, Relationships, Physical & Mental Health and Learning & Working were prioritized. Goal attainment/restrictions were influenced by perceived control over a goal. Goals that relied upon external factors (i.e., services) reflected a more maladaptive motivational structure, whereas those that relied upon internal (self-focused) barriers to participation reflected an adaptive structure. This research offers practitioners a tool to assist users to ‘plan for the future’ and monitor progress by capturing motivations and assessing factors that might impact the likelihood of a goal being pursued.

Concussion in Women's Flat-Track Roller Derby.

Concussions are common among flat-track roller derby players, a unique and under-studied sport, but little has been done to assess how common they are or what players can do to manage injury risk. The purpose of this study is to provide an epidemiological investigation of concussion incidence and experience in a large international sampling of roller derby players. Six hundred sixty-five roller derby players from 25 countries responded to a comprehensive online survey about injury and sport participation. Participants also responded to a battery of psychometric assessment tools targeting risk-factors for poor injury recovery (negative bias, social support, mental toughness) and players' thoughts and feelings in response to injury. Per 1,000 athletes, 790.98 concussions were reported. Current players reported an average of 2.2 concussions, while former players reported 3.1 concussions. However, groups were matched when these figures were corrected for differences in years of play (approximately one concussion every 2 years). Other frequent injuries included fractures in extremities and upper limbs, torn knee ligaments, and sprained ankles. We found no evidence that players' position, full-contact scrimmages, or flooring impacted number of concussions. However, neurological history and uncorrected vision were more influential predictors of an individual's number of concussions during roller derby than years of participation or age, though all four contributed significantly. These findings should assist athletes in making informed decisions about participation in roller derby, though more work is needed to understand the nature of risk.

Dyadic interactions, physical environment, and social environment in dementia mealtime care: A systematic review of psychometric properties of instruments

AbstractBackgroundIt is critical to use validated instruments to assess dyadic interactions, social environment, and/or physical environment during mealtime care of persons living with dementia to evaluate the process and efficacy of mealtime assistance and environmental interventions. However, the quantity and psychometric quality of such instruments are unknown. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the quantity and quality of instruments that assess dyadic interactions, physical environment, and/or social environment during mealtime care for persons living with dementia.MethodsWe searched Pubmed, CINAHL, AgeLine, PsychINFO, and Cochrane Library for records published between 1980 and 2020. Records were eligible if they included any instrument that measures concepts of interest (i.e., mealtime dyadic interactions, physical and/or social dining environment). From eligible records, eligible instruments originally developed or later modified to measure concepts of interest were identified. From eligible records, eight characteristics of eligible instruments were extracted: 1) development process, 2) concept/construct being operationalized, 3) sample and setting, 4) administration method, 5) description of items, 6) scoring format/interpretation, 7) reliability, and 8) validity. A newly developed psychometric quality assessment tool was used to evaluate the psychometric quality of eligible instruments.ResultsIn total, 26 eligible instruments were identified. Seventeen instruments assessed dyadic interactions, 1 assessed only physical environment, and 8 assessed physical and social environment. All instruments were observational tools and scored as having low psychometric quality. Reasons for low psychometric quality included use of small sample size compared to the number of items, limited psychometric testing, and inadequate estimates.ConclusionsA number of instruments were developed and/or used to assess dyadic interactions, physical and/or social environment in dementia mealtime care. All instruments warrant further testing to accumulate psychometric evidence in larger diverse samples in different care settings for use in research and practice.

Children of ISIS: considerations regarding trauma, treatment and risk

The rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) brought with it a new wave of child soldier. This was characterised by media and propaganda circulating of children as young as four being exposed to detonators and rifles, along with perpetrating acts of violence. However, since the dismantling of ISIS, many of these children are now returning home to countries such as Australia and those in the United Kingdom and Europe; having been exposed to extremist Islamic ideology, radicalisation, and psychological and physical abuse. This review highlights that the trauma experienced by the child soldiers increases the possibility of symptomology associated with depression, anxiety, and externalising problems. Due to the complex and prolonged exposure to trauma, Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD) is considered. Alongside mental health symptomology, psychometric risk assessment tools are examined, and suitable psychological services are discussed as possible interventions and support systems for children.

Use of the Jordanian WISC-III for Twice-Exceptional Identification

The main purpose of this research was to investigate empirically the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – the third Jordanian version (hereinafter WISC-III-Jordan) profiles to analyze cognitive factors for ‘twice-exceptional’ (2E) children characterizing ‘mathematical giftedness with learning disabilities (MG/LDs). The paper examined whether WISC-III-Jordan, the latest adapted version in Jordan, is a useful psychometric assessment tool for providing a partial picture of the cognitive weaknesses and strengths of 2E learners. Thirty MG/LDs students (16 girls and 14 boys) and a control group of 22 ‘intellectually average students with learning disabilities’ (Average-IQ/LDs) (10 girls and 12 boys) were administered the WISC-III-Jordan. The two experimental and control groups, aged between 11 and 12 years, were chosen from three public primary schools in Amman, Jordan. While differences between the two groups were investigated, a comparison of 17 factors was made using five cognitive classification systems: Wechsler (1974 and 1991), Horn (1989), Bannatyne (1974), Kaufman (1975, 1994), and Rapaport et al., (1945-1946), in addition to the ACID profile (Arithmetic, Coding, Information, and Digit Span). The findings revealed that the MG/LDs sample demonstrated a significant discrepancy between the verbal and performance IQ subscales, but no significant scattered subtest profile was yielded. Relative strengths were shown in four subtests: Comprehension, Arithmetic, Vocabulary, and Picture Completion. Both experimental and control groups showed relative weaknesses in three subtests: Coding, Information, and Similarities. The analysis of the cognitive systems revealed that the Rapaport et al. (1945-1946) and Kaufman (1994) models were the most powerful for discriminating between the two groups. As opposed to the ACID profile, the Bannatyne (1974) model was the only classification not found to be useful in diagnosing students with learning disabilities. Finally, while the MG/LDs group showed significant relative strength in the visual-perceptual awareness and coordination compared to the Average-IQ/LDs group, both groups showed relative weaknesses in Sequencing Ability, Visual-Motor Coordination, and Broad Speediness.

Coordinating assessment of spiritual needs: a cross-walk of narrative and psychometric assessment tools used in palliative care

Addressing spiritual needs of patients in healthcare settings improves patient experiences and clinical outcomes; however, non-chaplain providers typically assess spiritual needs differently (quantitative psychometric) than healthcare chaplains (long form narrative) and thus there is little shared language or cross-disciplinary evaluation frameworks across disciplines. This discrepancy impedes the provision of both team-based and patient-centered care. This paper used scoping review methodology to illustrate the overlap between narrative and psychometric assessment tools, comparing four narrative tools against eight psychometric tools. The SpNQ-120 and Brief RCOPE demonstrated consistent domain coverage across the four chaplain narrative tools. This work provides preliminary resources to aid clinicians and researchers in choosing an appropriate tool. Additionally, for those who do not work closely with chaplains, it provides a sense of what domains chaplains prioritize, from their professional and lived experience, in assessing the spiritual life of the patient. This improves interdisciplinary communication, and therefore, patient care.

Exploring the Dimensions of Smartphone Distraction: Development, Validation, Measurement Invariance, and Latent Mean Differences of the Smartphone Distraction Scale (SDS).

Background: Distraction is a functional emotion regulation strategy utilized to relieve emotional distress. Within the attention economy perspective, distraction is increasingly associated with digital technology use, performance impairments and interference with higher-order cognitive processes. Research on smartphone distraction and its association with problematic smartphone use is still scarce and there is no available psychometric assessment tool to assess this cognitive and emotive process parsimoniously.Method: The present study reports the development and evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Smartphone Distraction Scale (SDS) through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, construct validity, gender invariance, and latent mean differences. The study was conducted in a sample of British university students (N = 1,001; M = 21.10 years, SD = 2.77).Results: The 16-item SDS was best conceptualized in a four-factor model solution comprising attention impulsiveness, online vigilance, emotion regulation, and multitasking. Construct validity was established using relevant psychosocial and mental health measures, with SDS scores being moderately associated with deficient self-regulation and problematic social media use. Gender measurement invariance was achieved at the configural, metric, and scalar levels, and latent mean differences indicated that females had significantly higher means than males across all four SDS latent factors.Discussion: The SDS presents with several strengths, including its theoretical grounding, relatively short length, and sound psychometric properties. The SDS enables the assessment of distraction, which appears to be one of the pathways to problematic smartphone use facilitating overuse and overreliance on smartphones for emotion regulation processes. The assessment of distraction in relation to problematic use in vulnerable populations may facilitate interventions that could encourage metacognition and benefit these groups by allowing sustained productivity in an increasingly disrupted work and social environment.

DEVELOPMENT OF A MECHANISM FOR APPLYING THE «TALENT Q» AND «TALENT POOL» METHODS AS COMPONENTS OF THE TALENT MANAGEMENT CONCEPT

Objective. The objective of the present article is to develop a mechanism for applying the methodology “Talent Q” and “Talent Pool” as components of the concept of talent management in the enterprise. Methods. The theoretical basis of the study are the works of domestic and foreign scientists on modern approaches to personnel management, views on the nature and features of the concept of talent management, methods “Talent Q” and “Talent Pool”. The following research methods were used to achieve the set goals and objectives: system approach - to determine the essential aspects of talent management, theoretical gener­alization and comparison - to determine the essential features of the methods “Talent Q” and “Talent Pool”, system analysis and synthesis - to develop a mechanism for implementing methods “Talent Q” and “Talent Pool”, information modeling to develop a model for evaluating the results of the survey and the structural model of the program “Talent Pool”, specification to determine the features of the methods “Talent Q” and “Talent Pool”, graphical and tabular methods - to visualize the study material. Results. The present article highlights the essential aspects of the concept of talent management and fea­tures of the implementation of the methods of “Talent Q” and “Talent Pool”. The “Talent Q” methodology is defined as a set of psychometric assessment tools used to select and analyze the personal candidate’s potential and is represented by certain elements, such as indicators, evaluation criteria, parameters and results. A spatial model for assessing the personality characteristics of candidates according to the method of “Talent Q” has been developed. In addition, the study reflects the structural and logical model of the management system of the program “Talent Pool”, which includes three blocks and is long-term. The main objective of the “Talent Pool” program are: development of employees with high potential (HiPo), education of future senior executives and achievement of strategic goals of the enterprise. The result of the research is the development of a mechanism for implementing the methodology “Tal­ent Q” and “Talent Pool” as components of the concept of talent management in the enterprise. The imple­mentation of these techniques, which are part of the concept of talent management, will contribute to the formation of the foundation of development strategy and talent management in the enterprise, which is an organic component of the corporate development strategy. In addition, understanding and understanding the importance of talent as a source of sustainable competitive advantage should contribute to the formation of a competitive personnel management system based on a value-oriented approach to the intellectual abilities of worker.

754-P: Design of a Protocol and Psychometric Evaluation Questionnaires for a National PRO Diabetes Multisector Pilot Study in Denmark

Aim: To develop a protocol and set of purpose-built psychometric PRO evaluation questionnaires for a national multi-sector study to evaluate feasibility, acceptability, validity, barriers, facilitators and perceived value of the National Danish PRO diabetes intervention (PRO diabetes questionnaire and dialogue tool) in Denmark. Methods: The protocol was designed through a participatory process with People With Diabetes (PWD), multi-disciplinary representatives of diabetes centres and municipality diabetes rehabilitation centres from 3 regions of Denmark. Hypotheses and assessment tools were guided by formative qualitative research. The intervention involved that PWD fill out the PROM prior to their visit and the Health Care Professional (HCP) uses a PRO IT dialogue tool to collaboratively evaluate needs and plan care. Results: The pragmatic mixed-methods study protocol involved hypothesis testing and exploratory research: 1) PRO-DIA-READY Scales for Clinic and HCP PRO-Diabetes Readiness (incl. structural/process indicators of person-centred care). 2) 6-item PRO-EVAL-P Scale completed by PWD after the PROM. 3) 8-item PROCON-EVAL-HCP and 13-item PROCON-EVAL-PWD scales completed by HCPs and PWD after the visit, 4) Clinician rating scales of PROM validity 5) Semi-structured interview/group workshop guides for PWD, Caregivers (CG), multi-disciplinary HCPs, and administrators based on RE-AIM: Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance, 6) HCP/PWD Follow-Up Impact Questionnaires (incl. active participation, person-centred care, care utilisation and outcomes). Newly designed evaluation scales were analyzed psychometrically. Conclusions: A protocol and new psychometric assessment tools for evaluation of validity, readiness, acceptability and impact of PRO in diabetes care were developed and successfully applied in large scale in Denmark. The new tools are available for comparative PRO research studies. Disclosure S.E. Skovlund: None. L. Boel: None. N.C. Balk-Møller: None. P.M. Højholt: None. D.B. Berthelsen: None. C. Glümer: None. H. Perrild: None. D.M. Hessler: Consultant; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. S.H. kaplan: None. P.O. Jakobsen: None. N. Ejskjaer: None. Funding Danish Health Data Board

Coordinating Assessment of Spiritual Needs: A Cross-Walk of Narrative and Psychometric Assessment Tools Used in Palliative Care (S784)

Coordinating Assessment of Spiritual Needs: A Cross-Walk of Narrative and Psychometric Assessment Tools Used in Palliative Care (S784)

Improving Decision-Making: Procedural Recommendations for Evidence-Based Assessment: Introduction to the Special Issue

Assessing for applied decision-making is an essential role of a school psychologist. Advances in complex statistical analyses (e.g., item response theory, structural equation modeling) have allowed for more robust psychometric evaluation and assessment tools than ever before. School psychologists now have access to a wide range of evidence-based assessments across academic, behavioral, and cognitive domains. In contrast, relatively less research has examined the procedures through which assessment data are collected and analyzed. Such limitations restrict the utility of assessment data, as well as the validity of decisions made in consideration of said data. The primary goal of this special issue is to feature research that critically examines factors that facilitate or inhibit accurate and efficient decision-making in schools, including that which elucidates best practice for improving the input and output of assessment data. Articles provide empirical support and procedural guidance to improve decision-making in schools. Commentaries reflect on the current state of evidence and offer suggestions for future research and practice.

The benefits of international volunteering in a low-resource setting: development of a core outcome set

BackgroundQualitative narrative analysis and case studies form the majority of the current peer-reviewed literature about the benefits of professional volunteering or international placements for healthcare professionals. These often describe generalised outcomes that are difficult to define or have multiple meanings (such as ‘communication skills’ or ‘leadership’) and are therefore difficult to measure. However, there is an interest from employers, professional groups and individual volunteers in generating metrics for monitoring personal and professional development of volunteers and comparing different volunteering experiences in terms of their impact on the volunteers. In this paper, we describe two studies in which we (a) consolidated qualitative research and individual accounts into a core outcome set and (b) tested the core outcome set in a large group of global health stakeholders.MethodWe conducted a systematic review and meta-synthesis of literature to extract outcomes of international placements and variables that may affect these outcomes. We presented these outcomes to 58 stakeholders in global health, employing a Delphi method to reach consensus about which were ‘core’ and which were likely to be developed through international volunteering.ResultsThe systematic review of 55 papers generated 133 unique outcomes and 34 potential variables. One hundred fifty-six statements were then presented to the Delphi stakeholders, of which they agreed 116 were core to a wide variety of healthcare professional practice and likely to be developed through international experiences. The core outcomes (COs) were both negative and positive and included skills, knowledge, attitudes and outcomes for healthcare organisations.ConclusionsWe summarised existing literature and stakeholder opinion into a core outcome set of 116 items that are core to healthcare professional practice and likely to be developed through international experiences. We identified, in the literature, a set of variables that could affect learning outcomes. The core outcome set will be used in a future study to develop a psychometric assessment tool.

Identifying high-risk young adults for violence prevention: a validation of psychometric and social scales in Honduras

High levels of violent crime plague Honduras, limiting economic, social, and human development. Numerous programs in the country seek to prevent violence and gang membership among youth. Fewer programs address young adults, and fewer still have a method to target those most at risk of violence involvement – either as perpetrators or as victims. This paper focuses on a method to identify and tailor prevention programs to the young adult population at elevated risk. The development and validation of the Violence-Involved Persons Risk Assessment (VIP-RA) tool is described. In Honduras, the authors validate psychometric and social risk assessment tools that have been empirically evaluated in the United States and Europe. Using criteria established to cover domains and risk factors identified in the literature, eight tools were selected for validation. VIP-RA is now a component of a workforce development program in Honduras that targets a population of primarily young–adult males between the ages of 16–30 living in high crime municipalities. VIP-RA was informed by the process to develop the Youth Services Eligibility Tool (YSET) in Los Angeles and the process to adapt the YSET for use in Honduras.

The Psychological Assessment of Clerics

The psychological assessment of novice and experienced clerics is an important component of ordination, suitability, and risk evaluation to ensure that representatives of religious organizations are equipped, motivated, and safe for a life commitment to a faith vocation. It is the authors’ opinion that such assessments should be conducted by skilled psychologists with expertise that covers occupational, clinical, and forensic domains. Further, the authors emphasize the importance of an objective and secular assessment to better inform the church about its role and responsibility for the oversight and spiritual development of the cleric. A thorough psychological assessment should incorporate a multimodal approach to information gathering, which includes a comprehensive review of background information and medical records, a personal history interview, a mental status examination, and administration of relevant psychometric measures and assessment tools. We also advise that, upon completion of the assessment, the requesting religious organization should be offered the opportunity to meet with the evaluating psychologist to discuss suitability issues and, if necessary, risk management planning.

Complex trauma, somatoform dissociations & energetics therapy

IntroductionMental health professionals find it very challenging to provide counselling and therapy when confronted with disclosures of ritual, satanic and extreme abuse. Psychometric and muscle testing can facilitate diagnosis and healing in this context. Psychiatrists of renown such as David Hawkins and Colin Ross have embraced and written about energetic medicine in their practice.ObjectivesThe presentation explains how somatoform dissociations are tell-tale indications of abuse and neglect of early childhood trauma and how ‘Energetics’ therapy facilitates healing.AimsDelegates will learn to recognise somatoform dissociation symptoms, understand advances and limitations of psychometric assessment tools, appreciate energetics approaches as an adjunct to other intervention methods and gain an insight into the origins of complex trauma.MethodsTwo case studies are used to illustrate causes, impact, diagnosis and healing of complex trauma.ResultsA set of psychometric assessments helped to unravel a chilling revictimisation crime series. ‘Twice Exceptional’ characteristics were very high IQ coupled with Dyslexia, very weak auditory memory and psychic capabilities. In another case that stemmed from extreme abuse of ancient, commercial and high-tech varieties muscle testing and energetics therapy lead to a remarkable recovery.ConclusionsPsychometric and muscle testing can inform diagnosis, therapy and healing. Energetics can be used to bring about profound healing for those who have repressed severe trauma. This method has many advantages in that parts of it are easily learned, it is non-invasive, has no side effects, gives patients control over their reactions, eliminates triggers and offers healing.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.