The Admissibility of Expert Testimony in Washington on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Related Trauma Syndromes: Avoiding the Battle of the Experts by Restoring the Use of Objective Psychological Testimony in the Courtroom

This Article focuses on three types of syndrome evidence-rape trauma syndrome, child abuse syndromes, and battered person syndrome-all of which seem to be closely related to the diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Part II provides background regarding the Frye test, explains how mental disorders are defined in the manual clinicians use, DSM-IV-TR, and outlines PTSD and associated syndromes. Parts III, IV, V, and VI address both legal and psychological concerns regarding specific syndromes and identify what types of testimony Washington law allows in each of these three areas. Part VII discusses the concerns regarding the scientific validity of such diagnoses. Finally, Part VIII concludes this article by calling for a standard of admissibility for syndrome testimony based on reliable science, rather than less reliable testimony based on an individual clinician\u27s experiences