Trauma, memory, and credibility in immigration proceedings: A qualitative study of legal advocates’ use of forensic mental health assessments.

OBJECTIVE: Trauma psychologists are increasingly called upon to do forensic mental health assessments to support claims in immigration matters. The present study was undertaken to inform practitioners as to the content domains valued by advocates and Immigration Courts in general, to identify challenging content, and examine how content domains were used in legal strategies. METHOD: to identify axial themes. RESULTS: Because posttraumatic stress disorder was common, at times judges and government attorneys discounted its relevance; solutions included carefully explaining considering comorbidity and describing clinical presentation, even for clients who did not meet diagnostic thresholds. CONCLUSIONS: Findings clarify how legal advocates use forensic mental health assessments to support clients' credibility, highlighting the need for focused, claim-relevant assessment to best inform immigration proceedings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).