Assessment of Psychopathology

Question 1

3 things to always ask patient about

Answer 1

alcohol/drug use
suicidal tendencies
violent/homicidal tendencies

Question 2

how to assess orientation of patient and why

Answer 2

time (date, day of week, time of day)
place (current location)
person (patient's name)
purpose (why we are meeting)
*important for assessing delirium

Question 3

what to ask about suicidality

Answer 3

presence, plan, intent
protective factors
expectation of death after an attempt?

Question 4

what to ask about homicidality

Answer 4

present?
toward a specific person or people in general
plan, intent, fantasy, inspired by delusion?

Question 5

3 types of memory

Answer 5

remote: many years ago
recent: past several months-days
immediate: past several minutes

Question 6

disorders showing lack of insight

Answer 6

mania, paranoid psychosis, substance abuse, dementia, personality disorders

Question 7

multiaxial diagnosis axes

Answer 7

axis 1: main descriptive diagnosis

2: mental retardation and/or personality disorders
3: relevant medical problems
4: psychosocial stressors
5: global assessment of functioning