ABSTRACT
In contrast to traditional psychological assessment which focuses on personality and defense mechanisms for the purpose of treatment of mental health problems, psychological assessment in the medical setting involves the integration of information regarding cognitive, affective and behavioral functioning vis à vis physiological health, illness and disability. While seemingly broad in nature, health psychology assessment is necessarily focal, driven by the clinical question and context of the assessment. Although an integral component in the design of psychological treatments, a major use of this specific type of assessment is to solve problems for other health professionals in providing care for their patients. Thus, consultation activities are often an integral part of the assessment process.
