A Relevant Risk Approach to Mental Health Inquiries in Question 21 of the Questionnaire for National Security Positions (SF-86)

Abstract

Individuals vetted by the government for initial or continuing eligibility to access classified information must fill out a personnel security questionnaire as part of a screening process designed to identify those who are not likely to be trustworthy, reliable, or loyal to the United States. Question 21 in the Questionnaire for National Security Positions (SF-86) asks applicants if they have consulted with a mental health professional in the last 7 years , with certain groups exempted. This approach identifies too many individuals for investigative follow-up who do not have a mental health condition that poses an unacceptable risk, and likely misses other at-risk individuals. Disagreements over the goal, effectiveness, and adverse consequences (e.g., stigmatizing the use of mental health services ) associated with this question have resulted in previous Question 21 wording changes but have not significantly resolved concerns.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 24, 2015
Accession Number
ADA628339

Entities

People

  • Eric L. Lang
  • Jonathan Shedler

Organizations

  • Defense Manpower Data Center

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Department Of Defense
  • Governments
  • Health Care
  • Health Services
  • Medical Personnel
  • Mental Disorders
  • Mood Disorders
  • National Security
  • Personality Disorders
  • Personnel Management
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychology
  • Psychotic Disorders
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Traumatic Stress Disorder

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Cybersecurity.
  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Mental Health of Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Risk Factors, Prevalence, Symptoms, and Treatment.