Why Psychological Evaluations?

As per ACOEM guidelines, “In patients with chronic pain, psychological reactions to the pain become the major contributors to impaired functioning. These include anxiety, helplessness, escape/avoidance behaviors, depression, and increased pain behavior...The physician should view the psychological mechanisms of pain as just as real as the physical dimensions...” (pp.108, 115) The purpose of a psychological evaluation is to assess these psychological components that have resulted from your patient's injury and pain condition, thus providing the doctor with a more accurate disability rating that incorporates psychological disability. In a quality report, we further rule out the potential for psychological malingering and show whether or not there is a direct relationship between the patient's physical limitations/somatic pain and their mental condition, so that the patient may be found to be unable to heal from the mental/emotional effects of their injury unless a significant improvement of their physical condition is made.