Introduction to The Oxford Handbook of Personality and Psychopathology Assessment

Abstract This second edition of the Oxford Handbook of Personality Assessment, now titled The Oxford Handbook of Personality and Psychopathology Assessment, is updated to cover a range of topics written by authors with high levels of expertise in their chapter’s topic. In comparison to the first edition, authors were asked to (a) integrate contemporary dimensional models of personality and psychopathology, (b) use a multimethod approach in which the method of assessment shapes the desired construct, (c) integrate collaborative/therapeutic assessment when possible, and (d) use a lens of human diversity when writing their chapter. The handbook starts with a multimethod assessment chapter, followed by handbook sections that contain chapters on the following topics: contemporary models of personality and psychopathology, psychometrics, diversity and inclusion (e.g., gender and gender identity, racial identity, and social justice), descriptions of commonly used tests and assessment methods (e.g., Personality Assessment Inventories, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventories, Behavior Assessment System for Children, and Rorschach Performance Assessment System), the assessment of three key personality and psychopathology dimensions (internalizing, externalizing, and psychosis), and many specific areas of assessment (e.g., suicide risk, violence risk, child custody, student threat assessment, and high-risk assessments). The final chapter discusses key challenges and needed improvements, such as requiring construct validity meta-analyses for all test scales, improving insurance reimbursement for assessments, and the emergence of new technologies in assessment.