did anyone have these psychological tests done by custody evaluators?

[eileeno]

Hi,
     I'm a mother who had sole and then joint custody of my two daughters taken away from me as a result of two separate custody evaluators using certain tests to imply instability.
     My ex-husband began living with his parents in March 1994.
     In the summer of 1995 I was given a full MMPI and the Rorschach test.
     My divorce from my ex-husband was final in October 1995 and included joint custody based on the custody evaluator's recommendation from the results of those tests.
     The Psychologist who gave me the tests couldn't find any pre-psychosis or psychosis.
      My ex-husband was given sole custody of my daughters in November 1996.
      The paternal grandparents were given Intervenor status in November 1997.
      My ex-husband's death in April 1999 gave the paternal grandparents an opportunity to sue for custody of my daughters.
      In 1999 I was given a modified MMPI, Personality Assessment Inventory, and another Rorschach.
      The Psychologist who gave me those tests told the custody evaluator they indicated "depression" during the paternal grandparent's litigation to get custody of my daughters.
      At no time did I have a diagnosis of mental illness from a Psychiatrist and I feel I still got stigmatized on the basis of psychological tests.
      I want to know if other women have experienced bias on the part of the courts because of psychological testing.
      What questions do I ask to figure out if the psychological testing was done in ethical and scientific ways?
      I still have a little contact with my daughters, but the implication I'm mentally ill with no legitimate diagnosis has been used by the paternal grandparents to make it almost impossible to have time with my children.

[olanna]

Very odd. I have never heard of such a thing but today, I would believe almost anything flies.

Why not request the same tests be done on the grandparents?  And why don't you have contact with your kids?  

[maid marion]

Under what circumstances did your ex get sole custody in 1996? How old are your daughters now? You might petition the court for more time and maybe another testing series. If you have health insurance why not get some counseling/testing on your own and see what they think?
Good Luck,
Maid Marion

[backwardsbike]

I had the MMPI as part of custody procedings twice now.  Two differnt evalautors.  I can't imagine what use the Roshack woudl be.  it is "projective" menaing that the evalautor has to interpret the meanins of what you saw in the ink blots.  So a different evalautor could reach an entirely differnt conclusion.

My first custody eval turned out very badly for me.  IMHO, it was very biased.  The evaluator said that I had " difficulty staying in touch with reality".  She din't come right out and say that I had a diagnosis, she just implied that I was delusional.

I asked a former therapist of mine to obtain the actual test results.  Surprise, surprise, there was nothing negative about me revealed by that test!

I happen to be a psychiatric nurse and currently begining a master's program in counsleor education.  I know these tests.  I know all about relaibity and validity.  What the evalautor did was plain wrong.

I ended up getting a full psychological evlauation of myself by an indepenent psychologist. It showed me to be well adjusted and high functioning.

Well this was gratifying to me, I still am NCM! In my case the kids got settled into the CP's home and are doing well in school so the judge is very reluctant to change custody even thoguth I have suspected PAS. I just can't get a "professional" to admit that it is present in writing.

Best of luck to you.