Screening for Malingered Psychopathology in a Correctional Setting: Utility of the Miller-Forensic Assessment of Symptoms Test (M-FAST)
Guy, Laura S. ; Miller, Holly A.
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Abstract
Evidence of construct validity and generalizability for a new measure developed to screen for malingered psychopathology, the Miller-Forensic Assessment of Symptoms Test (M-FAST), is presented for a sample of incarcerated males (N = 50) who had applied for mental health services in a maximum-security prison. Participants completed a brief diagnostic interview, the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS), and the M-FAST. SIRS-defined malingerers scored significantly higher on the M-FAST total and scale scores. Receiver operating characteristic analysis yielded an area under the curve of .92 (SEM = .04, p= .01). Consistent with previous M-FAST validity research, utility results indicated accurate classification was best achieved with an M-FAST total cutoff score of 6 (positive predictive power = .78, negative predictive power =.89). Utility analyses across race produced almost identical results indicating preliminary generalizability of the M-FAST for African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian inmates.
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Guy, L. S. & Miller, H. A. (2004). Screening for malingered psychopathology in a correctional setting: Utility of the M-FAST. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 31, 695-716. doi: 10.1177/0093854804268754