A Validation Paradigm Designed to Guide Data Integration Strategies When Assessing Mental Health

When assessing mental health, we must grapple with a reality―that no one “test” exists to assess any one domain (e.g., anxiety, parenting, social skills). Assessing mental health requires batteries of instruments completed by multiple sources. Discrepant results among sources comprises the most common data conditions produced by these assessments. Discrepant results introduce complexities with both interpreting results, and implementing valid integrative strategies that optimize decision-making. This webinar explores a new validation paradigm―Classifying Observations Necessitates Theory, Epistemology, and Testing (CONTEXT)―to guide decision-making for exactly these assessment scenarios, and review illustrative examples of its use in prior published work.

• Provide an overview of discrepant results in mental health assessments.
• Describe a validation paradigm designed for users of mental health assessments.
• Illustrate strategies for integrating data produced by mental health assessments.

Andres De Los Reyes, PhD