Diagnosis can sometimes be straightforward or very complex. It can occasionally be difficult to determine what is specifically going on with an individual. Because of this, personality assessment is sometimes used to help with mental health diagnosis. These tests are designed to help pinpoint how a person’s concerns, temperament, and situation affect their mental health. Results of testing can inform the individual’s diagnosis and treatment. Much the same way a medical doctor might order an MRI or bloodwork, a personality assessment can provide an idea of your overall functioning and how you interact with your social and physical environment.
Objective tests are designed with a set of statements and the test-taker chooses whether or not each statement applies to them. The tests generally require a true/false or yes/no response.
Projective tests are more subjective. Items tend to be open-ended and allow the client to respond in whatever manner they chooses. This form of assessment allows the clinician to measure different aspects of an individual that an objective test is unable to, such a person’s particular way of viewing their world.