Cognitive status and profile validity on the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) in offenders with serious mental illness.
Cognitive impairment among seriously mentally ill offenders has implications for legal matters (e.g., competency to stand trial), as well as clinical treatment and care. Thus, being able to identify potential cognitive concerns early in the adjudication process can be important when deciding on further interventions. In this study, we examined the validity scales of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), scores on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV (WAIS-IV), and competency findings in male inmates (n=61) diagnosed with a serious mental illness. Lower scores on the WAIS-IV significantly (p=0.001) predicted invalid, versus valid, PAI profiles, with working memory impairment being the most significant (p=0.004) predictor of an invalid profile. Ancillary analyses on a smaller sample (n=18) indicate that those with invalid PAI profiles were more likely to be deemed legally incompetent (p=0.03). These findings suggest that the PAI validity scales may be informative in detecting cognitive concerns and help clinicians make determinations about competency restoration and treatment.
University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Department of Psychiatry, 462 Grider Street, Buffalo, NY 14215, USA; Forensic Mental Health Services, Erie County Department of Mental Health, 120 West Eagle Street, Buffalo, NY 14202, USA. Electronic address: tmmatlasz92@gmail.com.
Tatiana M
TM
Matlasz
Forensic Mental Health Services, Erie County Department of Mental Health, 120 West Eagle Street, Buffalo, NY 14202, USA; Medaille College, Department of Psychology, 18 Agassiz Circle, Buffalo, NY 14215, USA.
Jamie L
JL
Brylski
University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Department of Psychiatry, 462 Grider Street, Buffalo, NY 14215, USA; Forensic Mental Health Services, Erie County Department of Mental Health, 120 West Eagle Street, Buffalo, NY 14202, USA.
Corey M
CM
Leidenfrost
Forensic Mental Health Services, Erie County Department of Mental Health, 120 West Eagle Street, Buffalo, NY 14202, USA; University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Department of Psychology, Park Hall, Room 204, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
Matt
M
Scalco
Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, One Bowdoin Square, 7th Floor, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Samuel J
SJ
Sinclair
Forensic Mental Health Services, Erie County Department of Mental Health, 120 West Eagle Street, Buffalo, NY 14202, USA.
Ronald M
RM
Schoelerman
Medaille College, Department of Psychology, 18 Agassiz Circle, Buffalo, NY 14215, USA.
Valerie
V
Tsang
University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Department of Psychiatry, 462 Grider Street, Buffalo, NY 14215, USA; Forensic Mental Health Services, Erie County Department of Mental Health, 120 West Eagle Street, Buffalo, NY 14202, USA; New York University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 462 First Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Daniel
D
Antonius
D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011329:Prisoners / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012114:Residential Treatment / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014888:Wechsler Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
Cognitive status; Competency to stand trial; PAI validity scales; Personality Assessment Inventory; Serious mental illness