[Symptom Validation in Independent Medical Evaluations]. / Beschwerdenvalidierung in der versicherungsmedizinischen Begutachtung.

High prevalence rates of non-authentic complaints identified by experts in the field of insurance medicine draw attention to the risk of services, which are of limited availability and financially compensated, being used in ways that are not goal-oriented. Therefore, symptom validity testing has become a growing issue to prevent non-targeted monetary compensations. This paper outlines the best-evaluated methods and instruments. Based on the data currently available, their validity, in particular in the context of medico-legal assessment, is assessed. It is concluded that symptom validity assessment allows inferences about the degree of certainty of clinical judgements on the authenticity of reported symptoms. Thus, the application of the suggested instruments enhances significantly the quality of medical and psychological expertise. However, the integration of the additional results into the overall assessment is challenging and needs to be further clarified.

[Psychoeducation and family-related counselling in the treatment of depression]. / Psychoedukation und angehörigenzentrierte Interventionen bei depressiven Erkrankungen.

By now psychoeducation is also recommended for the treatment of depression, due to data showing high acceptance and efficacy regarding a broad range of clinical variables. The impact of family-involvement by groups for relatives is not sufficiently studied yet, but findings concerning other severe mental diseases suggest positive effects. Self help groups are of high importance for the patients' relatives, who often need advice and support.