Psychological Assessment in Medical and Healthcare Settings

Across the world, health spending increased 6.3% a year between 2000 and 2017—a pace exceeding general economic growth. Many patients seek help or referrals from their primary doctors and oftentimes, mental health concerns emerge during medical management of physical health conditions. To that end, there has been an increased presence of psychologists in medical settings. Accurate psychological assessment is crucial across medical settings where psychologists collaborate with other professionals outside of psychology in a multidisciplinary context. In this chapter we briefly review the role(s) of psychologists in medical settings. We focus on three areas in which psychologists are most prevalent: Primary Care, Consultation–Liaison, and Presurgical Psychological Evaluations. Within each area, methods for clinical interviewing are reviewed. The role of using psychological tests, measures, and surveys are also highlighted in each of these three areas. We also review the use of brief cognitive screenings commonly employed in medical settings.