Psychological assessment with the Rorschach and the MMPI-2 in a forensic psychiatric hospital

In this article, the possibilities of forensic psychological assessment by means of several diagnostic methods (i.e., the MMPI-2 and the Rorschach Inkblot Method) are reviewed. A case example illustrates the serious personality pathology that is often present in forensic psychiatric patients. The basic premise of this case example is that the psychologist’s armamentarium of assessment techniques can be strengthened by using the MMPI-2 and the Rorschach together in a complimentary fashion, and these can be of value in evaluating progress (i.e., change in psychopathology) during long-term forensic psychiatric treatment. It is concluded that only the objective measurement of such change, using reliable and valid psychological tests, can increase our knowledge of the effectiveness of forensic psychiatric treatment