Producing accessible psychological assessment reports for clients who do not speak English

What is it about?

Psychologists routinely conduct psychological assessments to (1) assess and monitor their client's functioning; (2) screen, diagnose, and treat mental health problems; and (3) make recommendations in academic, employment, legal medical, and mental health settings. When psychologists conduct assessments, they have ethical and professional responsibilities to consider the primary language and culture of their clients. This article discusses the importance of providing clients with assessment reports in their preferred language. We propose practices for producing assessment reports for clients whose primary language is not English to make sure that every client has equal access to the results of their assessments.

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Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash

Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash

Why is it important?

There are no professional guidelines for producing psychological assessment reports for clients who speak languages other than English. The common practice among psychologists working with clients who speak languages other than English is to provide verbal feedback in the client's primary language and provide the written assessment report in English so that it may easily be shared with other professionals. Providing the assessment report in English to a client who is not fluent in English denies them the ability to fully access their health information and participate in their treatment or decision-making. Our proposed guidelines provide psychologists with options to make their assessment reports accessible to clients with diverse language needs while also allowing for the reports to be shared in English with relevant professionals.