The currently ongoing inquest continues into the death of Steve Dymond, who was a guest on the Jeremy Kyle show. Steve undertook a lie detector test to convince his fiancée that he had not cheated on her, however he failed the test and he died (suspected suicide) shortly after appearing on the tv show.
The coroners court heard that Steve Dymond was “actively suicidal” just six weeks before going on to the tv show. It also heard that Steve was desperate to appear on the show and take the test, claiming it was a matter of “life and death”. He was initially turned down for the show but was then accepted as a guest after obtaining a letter from his doctor.
We deal with many people desperate to clear their name of wrongdoing. There is usually a consequence when someone is not able to clear their name and when the person is being accused of cheating, that consequence could mean the end of the relationship.
People considering taking a polygraph test can be in an extremely stressful and despairing situation and this may be affecting their mental health. That desperation can sometimes lead to a person fixating that passing a polygraph test will resolve their issues and be the answer to all of their problems. They may feel it is the only thing they can do and they want to do it ASAP. This may mean that sometimes people are not entirely honest or even are not able to be completely honest about their mental health. Believing that because they did not do what they have been accused of, they will pass the test regardless.
However, if a person is not suitable to take a test this is likely to adversely affect the test result. Telling someone they need delay a test until their mental health improves is not what someone in this situation wants to hear. Even if this advice is accepted and treatment sought, there may still be a tendency to rush into a test without taking ample time for treatment to be effective.
It really cannot be under emphasised how important it is that the person taking the test is suitable and fit to take the test. Failing a test when a person is being truthful is likely to have an adverse effect on that person’s mental health.
it is important to be honest with the examiner, heed any advice given and take the steps needed to become a suitable candidate with a view to taking a test in the future and achieving a much more favourable outcome.