Evidence-Based Clinical Psychological Assessment (EBCPA): Review of Current State of the Literature and Best Practices

Public Significance Statement Clinical psychological assessment affects people in many, extremely significant, and lasting ways. This paper aims to help psychologists ensure that they are following the best practices supported by the literature. Although it constitutes a primary function of psychologists, distinguishing the field from all others, and serves as a core competency in graduate training, there is not a great deal of literature (and certainly not consensus) on what constitutes evidence-based practice in clinical psychological assessment. The goal of this paper is to review the available literature (and clinical wisdom) related to the practice of evidence-based clinical psychological assessment (EBCPA), aimed at improving outcomes in clinical settings. Within the framework of how EBCPA aspires to be and can be useful in clinical practice, this paper discusses specific components that contribute to best possible practices. Concrete recommendations are made, as well as calls for further research in specific areas to build a more solid empirical foundation for EBCPA.