Psychological evaluations serve to document the impact of mistreatment, abuse, or persecution inflicted in a foreign country. The emotional impact may include the development of formal mental health disorders such as Major Depressive Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. The psychological evaluation includes a clinical interview and testing of the person applying for asylum.

The psychological report describes the persecution or abuse, the “protected group” the applicant belongs to, the mental health consequences of prior abuse persecution, and the mental health consequences related to fear of abuse/persecution in the future.