Module 4.1: Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis Introduction

Question 1

Psychological Assessment

Answer 1

refers to a procedure by which clinicians, using psychological tests, observation, and interviews develop a summary of the client’s symptoms and problems

Question 2

What is one of the oldest and widely developed branches of contemporary psychology?

Answer 2

Psychological Assessment is one of the oldest and most widely developed branches of contemporary psychology, dating back to the work of Galton

Question 3

Is assessment only done at one phase or otherwise?

Answer 3

Assessment is an ongoing process and may be important at various points during treatment – NOT JUST AT THE BEGINNING

Question 4

Why is assessment conducted in the initial stage?

Answer 4

an attempt is usually made to identify the main dimensions of a client’s problem and to predict the probable course of events under various conditions

Question 5

What are some of the decisions that must be made in the initial stage of assessment?

Answer 5

1. What (if any) treatment approach is to be offered
2. Whether the problem will require hospitalization
3. To what extent family members will need to be included as co-clients

Question 6

In emergency conditions, what needs to be done during the pre-assessment (assessment in the initial stage) phase?

Answer 6

In emergency conditions, decisions during this stage must be made quickly even without critical information

Question 7

What is one of the main functions of conducting assessment in the initial stage?

Answer 7

establishing baselines for various psychological functions so that the effects of treatment can be measured

Question 8

Clinical Diagnosis

Answer 8

the process through which a clinician arrives at a general “summary classification” of the patient’s symptoms by following a clearly defined system

Question 9

What are the two defined systems for identifying disorders?

Answer 9

1. DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental DisordersDSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)
2. ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases)

Question 10

DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)

Answer 10

published by the American Psychological Association

Question 11

ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases)

Answer 11

published by the World Health Organization (WHO)

Question 12

Presenting Problem

Answer 12

major symptoms and behavior the client is experiencing; it is the first factor that the clinician needs to know

Question 13

What are the reasons that tell us why it is important to have an adequate classification of the presenting problem?

Answer 13

1. Clinical perspective: knowledge of a person’s type of disorder can help in planning and managing the appropriate treatment
2. Administrative perspective: it is essential to know the range of diagnostic problems that are represented in the client population and for which treatment facilities need to be available
3. Other reasons: for insurance claims

Question 14

What should adequate assessment also include?

Answer 14

Adequate assessment must also include an objective description of the person’s behavior aside from simply the diagnostic label

Question 15

What are the components that an objective description of someone’s behavior include?

Answer 15

1. Personality factors: long-term personality characteristics
2. The social context: the environment in which the individual functions

Question 16

What are guide questions to know the personality factors of a person?

Answer 16

1. Has the person typically responded in deviant ways to particular kinds of situations – for example, those requiring submission to legitimate authority?
2. Are there personality traits or behavior patterns that predispose the individual to behave in maladaptive ways?
3. Does the person tend to become enmeshed with others to the point of losing his or her identity, or is he or she so self-absorbed that intimate relationships are not possible?
4. Is the person able to accept help from others?
5. Is the person capable of genuine affection and of accepting appropriate responsibility for the welfare of others?

Question 17

Social Context

Answer 17

assess the social context in which the individual functions

Question 18

Dynamic Formulation

Answer 18

conflicting bits of information about the individual’s personality traits, behavior patterns, environmental demands, and so on that are integrated into a consistent and meaningful picture called the dynamic formulation

Question 19

What are the key dimensions needed to be noted by the clinician to understand the particular disorder?

Answer 19

1. Excesses
2. Deficits
3. Appropriateness

Question 20

What are some samples of guide questions that should be in an objective description of someone’s behavior?

Answer 20

1. How does the person characteristically respond to other people?
2. Are there excesses in behavior present, such as eating or drinking too much?
3. Are there notable deficits for example, in social skills?
4. How appropriate is the person’s behavior?
5. Is the person manifesting behavior that is plainly unresponsive or uncooperative?