Malingering and Deception in Adolescents: Assessing Credibility in Clinical and Forensic Settings

by Joseph T. McCann

Given the increasing incarceration rates and mental health problems among adolescents, there is a growing need for practitioners to be able to assess the accuracy of adolescents' self-reports. Malingering and Deception in Adolescents provides forensic psychologists and clinicians with interviewing techniques and strategies; psychological testing approaches; and insight into professional, legal, and ethical issues relative to the assessment of the reports of these troubled adolescents. Both a psychologist and an attorney, Dr. McCann maintains that there is a wide variety of reasons for deception among adolescents, requiring a careful review of case history and treatment context. Thoughtful discussion of the significance and classification of malingering and deception, illuminating case examples, and analysis of applications in clinical and forensic settings make this compassionate yet practical examination of adolescent deception a singular resource for clinicians, forensic psychologists, psychiatrists, and attorneys who specialize in representing juveniles.

243 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998