Mental health disorders are a global epidemic afflicting millions worldwide. According to recent data, over 20% of the United States population lives with some form of mental illness.
Mental health conditions are generally manageable. However, treating these illnesses often presents numerous challenges, such as inadequate mental health professionals, insufficient funding, and social stigma.
Addressing the challenges encountered in mental health treatments can help to accelerate healing while minimizing the prevalence of these diseases.
Polygraph, a lie detection technique originally synonymous with law enforcement, is now being touted as an effective tool in supporting mental health treatments. Read below to find out how.
Role of Polygraph Testing In Mental Health Treatment
1. Tracking Recovery Progress
Polygraphs may help monitor the recovery of a mental health patient. The responses from a lie detector test are not only measured against the examinee’s baselines (normal physiological reactions), but also compared with what is expected of normal, healthy people.
Therapists can then gauge the efficacy of current treatment plans. Also, note that a polygraph test is not a validated tool to track mental health recovery.
2. Clearing Doubts
Lie detector tests can address suspicions about the actual condition of a mental health patient. By analyzing the responses to polygraph questions, it’s easier to validate the examinee’s claims of recovery.
This can provide peace of mind to a patient’s loved ones, especially in the case of severe mental health disorders.
3. Fostering Open Communication
To polygraph a mental health patient, their family members must discuss that possibility with them and obtain their consent before scheduling a lie detector test.
These open discussions can foster effective communication between the victim and their loved ones, enabling therapists to address underlying issues.
4. Supporting Wholesome Treatment
Findings from polygraph testing may provide invaluable insights into a mental health patient’s behavioral history. Therapists can then use this information to recommend the most effective treatment plan.
Types of Mental Health Issues Where Polygraphs May Prove Useful
Polygraph testing can be incorporated into the treatment of several mental health issues, including;
- Anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD)
- Mood disorders
- Depressive disorders
- Behavioral disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Sexual disorders, such as compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD)
- Substance use disorder
When Can A Patient Take A Polygraph Test?
Mental health disorders vary in severity.
Obviously, it’s counterproductive to subject a patient to a polygraph test when they’re visibly detached from reality. In such circumstances, it would be best to stabilize the individual first.
A polygraph examinee must be mentally aware of what is going on for the test results to be valid. In fact, an examiner should specifically establish if the patient knows where they are and what they’re about to engage in before formally commencing the questioning.
Common Mental Health Polygraph Questions
Polygraph questions should follow certain industry guidelines, regardless of the testing environment.
For instance, the would-be examinee must be aware of the interview subject ahead of time.
While a polygrapher may not disclose the specific questions that a mental health patient will be asked, they must notify them of the actual test subject. This typically happens during the pre-test phase, during which an examiner will also establish a rapport with the patient.
In addition, examinees are generally subjected to the following line of questioning:
- Have you taken (alcohol, meth, etc.) since (ENTER DATE)?
- Have you discussed your condition with any family member in the last (ENTER DURATION)?
- Have you had run-ins with the law since (ENTER DATE)?
How Frequently Should Mental Health Patients Be Polygraphed?
It’s intuitive to imagine that lie detector tests are more effective if frequently administered. However, periodic polygraph testing is most reliable if conducted once or twice a year.
Never conduct more than one lie detector test within three months. That’s because recurring tests may lead to a state of habituation.
The Impact of Anxiety on Polygraph Accuracy
There are concerns that intense nervousness may impact the accuracy of lie detector tests. The fact that anxiety is a symptom of most mental health disorders only fuels these fears.
However, polygraphs specifically measure physiological reactions controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS), including breathing, skin conductance, heart rate, and a shift in blood pressure.
Accelerating Mental Health Recovery With Polygraph Tests
Polygraphs can be an effective tool in tracking the recovery progress for mental health patients. By administering lie detector tests, mental health professionals are able to gauge the efficacy of current treatments and make proper adjustments.
However, polygraph tests shouldn’t be used in isolation. To maximize patient outcomes, mental health therapists must compare the lie detector findings vis-à-vis an individual’s medical record and current symptoms.
