Psychometric Validation of a Job-Related Mental Health Forensic Assessment Tool: Insights from the Chilean System

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18294/pm.2026.6071
Keywords: Occupational health, mental health, exploratory factor analysis, reliability, occupational disorders

Abstract

The standardization of expert evaluations in occupational mental health is a global challenge. This study presents the psychometric validation of a support questionnaire for the Job Position Study for Mental Pathology (EPT-PM) in Chile, with potential transferability to other regulatory frameworks. A total of 326 applications were analyzed (295 valid after data cleaning) using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with a tetrachoric correlation matrix and Weighted Least Squares (WLS) estimation; reliability (KR-20, split-half) and diagnostic performance (ROC, AUC, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy) were estimated. The 8-factor solution explained 53% of the variance (RMSEA = .053, 90% CI [.048–.059]; TLI = .888; RMSR = .03), with high internal consistency (KR-20 = .91) and excellent discriminative capacity (AUC = .965; accuracy = .934). The findings support structural validity and diagnostic utility. The integration of psychometric evidence is suggested to improve forensic traceability, transparency, and comparability. A confirmatory study and the standardization of evaluator training are recommended.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Enrique Daniel Escobar Gómez, Independent

Psychologist. Master of Science in Behavioral and Health Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain. Occupational psychologist with more than ten years of experience in occupational mental health, psychosocial risk management, and workplace well-being. He has specialized as a researcher and consultant in workplace suicide prevention and in the assessment and classification of work-related mental health conditions as occupational diseases.

Juan Pablo Osorio Munizaga, Independent

Psychiatrist. Master of Science in Biomedical and Biological Sciences, with a specialization in Neuroscience, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile. Psychiatrist with more than twenty years of experience in mental health in both the public and private sectors, specializing in the pharmacological treatment of severe psychotic disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders. Academic and researcher at the University of Chile for two decades, with extensive experience in undergraduate and graduate teaching.

Natalia Martini Martini Cáceres, Independent

Psychologist. Master’s degree in Adult Clinical Psychology, with a specialization in Cognitive-Constructivist Psychology, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile. Professional with experience in the healthcare sector and clinical practice. She has specialized training in clinical psychology and has developed her career in healthcare institutions, where she has contributed to patient care and clinical management processes.

Published
2026-08-01
Issue
Vol. 26 No. 30 (2026): Perspectivas Metodológicas
Section
Research