Handbook of Psychological Injury and Law

This book provides a comprehensive presentation of psychological problems, such as posttraumatic stress, depression and chronic pain, that are the result of injury or trauma and legal proceedings, such as tort after motor vehicle collisions. It stresses the complex nature of these disabilities, particularly in the judicial setting, and the critical task of accurately assessing and diagnosing the extent of the injury. Assessments involve the use of standardized tests, including those that assess for negative response bias and possible malingering.

The chapters that follow cover key psychological disorders and explore their effects in a range of populations, which can vary by age, sex, and minority or racial status. It encompasses international perspectives and emphasizes the importance of relevant factors that affect assessment, rehabilitation, and compensation. It is ideal for psychologists and mental health professionals working in in a field that requires a comprehensive, scientifically-informed, impartial approach to assessment that will stand up in court.

This book provides a comprehensive presentation of psychological problems, such as posttraumatic stress, depression and chronic pain, that are the result of injury or trauma and legal proceedings, such as tort after motor vehicle collisions. It stresses the complex nature of these disabilities, particularly in the judicial setting, and the critical task of accurately assessing and diagnosing the extent of the injury. Assessments involve the use of standardized tests, including those that assess for negative response bias and possible malingering.

The chapters that follow cover key psychological disorders and explore their effects in a range of populations, which can vary by age, sex, and minority or racial status. It encompasses international perspectives and emphasizes the importance of relevant factors that affect assessment, rehabilitation, and compensation. It is ideal for psychologists and mental health professionals working in in a field that requires a comprehensive, scientifically-informed, impartial approach to assessment that will stand up in court.

Gerald Young is a Full Professor in Psychology at Glendon College, York University, Toronto, Canada. He is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (APS) and the American Psychological Association (APA). He has received awards from the American Psychological Association and the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), including for lifetime achievement. Young was the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Psychological Injury and Law, from 2008-2024, which he founded, and his work in that area has led to invited keynote speaker addresses at scientific conferences. His most recent book is Handbook of Psychological Injury and Law (Springer Nature, 2025; senior co-editor). He has appeared as an expert witness for a case involving the Supreme Court of Canada. His practice covers rehabilitation and couples/ families. He is a member of the board of CAPDA, Canadian Academy of Psychologists in Disability Assessment.

Tyson D Bailey, PsyD ABPP is a board certified clinical psychologist and co-owner of a trauma-informed group practice in Everett, Washington. He has conducted forensic evaluations in civil, family law, and criminal cases for more than a decade. He is the editor and chief of the Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, and an associate editor for Psychlogical Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. He is also a section editor and completed a special section on complex trauma for Psychological Injury and Law. Dr. Bailey has published articles and book chapters, including complex trauma, dissociation, and forensic assessment. He also provides consultation and training on forensic practice, assessment of posttraumatic sequelae, suicide assessment, and complex trauma treatment. 

Luciano Giromini, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and coordinator of the Evidence-Based Psychological Assessment research team at the University of Turin, Italy. He has published over 100 articles in high-quality, peer-reviewed scientific journals and has taught psychological assessment and psychometrics at two Italian universities and a university in California. Currently, he serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Psychological Injury and Law and as a consulting editor for several leading assessment journals, including the Journal of Personality Assessment and Psychological Assessment. Dr. Giromini is also a co-author of the Inventory of Problems (IOP-29 and IOP-M).

Jason R. Soble, Ph.D., ABPP is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Neurology at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. He is board certified in Clinical Neuropsychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology and a Fellow of the American Psychological Society (Division 40: Society for Clinical Neuropsychology). His clinical interests include assessment of adults with dementia, complex neurological/medical disorders, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as personality assessment and working with veteran/active duty military populations. His research broadly investigates the psychometric/diagnostic properties and utility of neuropsychological tests used in clinical and forensic practice (e.g., performance validity tests), as well as neuropsychological sequalae associated psychiatric and neurological disorders (e.g., electrical shock injury; TBI; epilepsy).

Dr. Richard Rogers is a nationally known scholar and forensic psychologist with major contributions on malingering and forensic assessments. He is currently the Regents Professor of Psychology at the University of North Texas. His past academic appointments included key positions in the Section on Psychiatry and Law, Rush University, and the Division of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Toronto. His national awards include the American Academy of Forensic Psychology, American Psychiatric Association, and American Academy of Psychiatry and Law. He is also recognized by the American Psychological Association on two occasions: Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research (2008) and Public Policy Award (2011). Most recently, he was bestowed the 2024 Isaac Ray Award from the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Brian Levitt, Psy.D., C.Psych., is a Partner and the Director of Psychological Legal Services at Kaplan & Levitt Psychologists in Hamilton, Ontario. Over the last 25 years he has testified as an expert witness in trials, arbitrations and tribunals. He was invited in 2014 to consult to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science in Washington, DC on the use of performance and symptom validity testing in Canadian disability benefits systems and the implications for Social Security Administration Disability Determinations.  Dr. Levitt delivered the 2010 Keynote Address to the British Psychological Society’s Division of Counselling Psychology on the intersection of psychological assessment and the law. He has edited two books on the application of humanistic theory to psychological treatment. His most recent book, Questioning Psychology: Beyond Theory and Control, addresses what gets in the way of more fully understanding people in all aspects of assessment and treatment.