ABSTRACT
M otor vehicle accident (MVA) claimants often present for assessment and treatment with a wide range of complex problems including symptoms related to chronic pain, depression, posttraumatic stress, and adjustment difficulties. Most are involved in the pursuit of accident benefits from their insurer (e.g., psychological or physical treatment, income replacement, assistance with household maintenance, etc.). Many are also pursuing tort claims against other parties (i.e., suing the person who caused the MVA for lost income, funding for future treatment, pain and suffering, etc.). In such complex cases, the assessment of personality and psychopathology is important for determining accurate diagnoses and identifying psychosocial factors including response style, personality variables, coping responses, social supports, and social interactions that are relevant to treatment planning and addressing common referral questions. The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 1991) is a promising tool for assessing such clients, although little is currently known about the psychometric characteristics of the PAI in MVA settings and there currently exist no standard interpretive recommendations for professionals who use the PAI with MVA claimants.
