Professor Part of IOM Committee Examining Use of Psychological Testing for Disability Claims.

Alan Jette, professor of health policy and management, was part of an Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee that was recently asked to examine the use of standardized psychological tests in the disability evaluation process.

In Psychological Testing in the Service of Disability Determination, the committee reviewed selected psychological tests, including symptom and performance validity tests, and provided guidance on their relevance, applicability, and role in determining disability. The committee found that standardized psychological tests, including validity tests, are valuable tools that may increase the accuracy and consistency of Social Security Administration disability determinations. 

The US Social Security Administration (SSA) administers two disability programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), for disabled individuals and their dependent family members who have worked and contributed to the Social Security trust funds, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a means-tested program based on income and financial assets for adults aged 65 years or older and disabled adults and children.

Disability determinations are based on medical and other evidence considered relevant in an applicant’s case record. Physical or mental impairments must be established by objective medical evidence consisting of observable signs and laboratory findings, which may include standardized psychological tests.

The committee found that broader use of standardized psychological testing for applicants submitting disability claims to the Social Security Administration (SSA) should improve the accuracy and consistency of those disability determinations.

Jette, a longtime researcher involved in the measurement, epidemiology, and prevention of disability, is also director of the SPH Health & Disabilities Research Institute.