The Clinical Interview

Question 1

What is closely linked to the identity of clinical psychologists?

Answer 1

Assessment is closely linked to the identity of clinical psychologists.

Question 2

Are there other mental health professions that incorporate assessment other than clinical psychologists?

Answer 2

No other mental health profession
incorporates assessment into their work as
clinical psychologists do.

Question 3

What is the most frequent assessment tool?

Answer 3

Clinical interviews are the most
frequent assessment tool

• More than any specific test
• Vast majority of practicing clinical
  psychologists use interviews

Question 4

What are the essential qualities of assessment techniques?

Answer 4

All assessment techniques (including interviews)
should have adequate:
 Validity—measures what it claims to measure
 Reliability—yields consistent, repeatable results
 Clinical utility—benefits the clinician and ultimately the client

Question 5

What is validity?

Answer 5

Validity is when the test measures what it claims to measure.

Question 6

What is content validity?

Answer 6

The test has content appropriate for what is being measured.

Question 7

What is convergent validity?

Answer 7

The test correlates with other techniques that measure the same thing.

Question 8

What is discriminant validity?

Answer 8

The test does not correlate with techniques that measure something else.

Question 9

What is reliability?

Answer 9

The test yields consistent, repeatable results.

Question 10

What is test-retest reliability?

Answer 10

The test yields similar results across multiple administrations at different times.

Question 11

What is interrater reliability?

Answer 11

The test yields similar results across different administrators.

Question 12

What is internal reliability?

Answer 12

The test consists of items that are consistent with one another.

Question 13

What is clinical utility?

Answer 13

The test improves delivery of services or client outcome.

Question 14

What is feedback?

Answer 14

1. Common to all kinds of psychological assessment
2. Provide results of tests or interviews
3. May be face-to-face, a report, etc.

Question 15

What are the general skills a clinical psychologist must have?

Answer 15

1. Quieting yourself
2. Being self-aware
3. Develop positive working relationships

Question 16

What is quieting yourself?

Answer 16

Minimize excessive internal, self-directed thoughts that detract from listening

Question 17

What is being self-aware?

Answer 17

Know how you tend to affect others interpersonally, and how others tend to relate to you

Question 18

What is develop positive working relationships?

Answer 18

1. Can segue into psychotherapy

2. Respectful and caring attitude is key

Question 19

What is the specific behavior a clinical interviewer must have?

Answer 19

Listening

Question 20

What is listening?

Answer 20

the primary task of the interviewer, consisting of numerous building blocks

Question 21

What are the building blocks of listening?

Answer 21

1. Eye contact
2. Body language
3. Vocal qualities
4. Verbal tracking
5. Referring to client by proper name

Question 22

What are the components of the interview?

Answer 22

1. Rapport

2. Technique

Question 23

What is rapport?

Answer 23

1. Positive, comfortable relationship between
   interviewer and client
2. How an interviewer is with clients

Question 24

What is technique?

Answer 24

1. What an interviewer does with clients

2. Directive vs. nondirective styles

Question 25

What are the specific interviewer responses?

Answer 25

1. Open-ended questions 2. Close-ended questions 3. Clarification 4. Confrontation 5. Paraphrasing 6. Reflection of feeling 7. Summarizing

Question 26

What are the open-ended questions?

Answer 26

1. Allow individualized and spontaneous responses from clients 2. Elicit long answers that may or may not provide necessary info

Question 27

What are the close-ended questions?

Answer 27

1. Allow less elaboration and self-expression by the client | 2. Yield quick and precise answers

Question 28

What is clarification?

Answer 28

Question to make sure the interviewer accurately understands the client’s comments

Question 29

What is the confrontation?

Answer 29

For discrepancies or inconsistencies in a client’s comments

Question 30

What is the paraphrasing?

Answer 30

Restatement of client’s comments to show they have been heard

Question 31

What is reflection of feeling?

Answer 31

Echo client’s emotions, even if not explicitly mentioned

Question 32

What is summarizing?

Answer 32

Tie together various topics, connect statements that may have been made at different points, and identify themes

Question 33

What are the pragmatics of the interview?

Answer 33

1. Note-taking 2. Audio and video recording 3. The Interview Room 4. Confidentiality

Question 34

What is note-taking?

Answer 34

1. Little consensus about note-taking | 2. Provide a reliable written record, but can be distracting to client and interviewer

Question 35

What is audio and video recording?

Answer 35

1. Also provide a reliable record, but can be inhibiting to clients 2. Must obtain permission

Question 36

What is the interview room?

Answer 36

Professional yet comfortable

Question 37

What is confidentiality?

Answer 37

Explain confidentiality and its limits to clients (e.g., child abuse, intention to harm)

Question 38

What are the types of interviews?

Answer 38

1. Intake interviews 2. Diagnostic interviews 3. Mental status exam 4. Crisis interviews

Question 39

What are the intake interviews?

Answer 39

To determine whether to “intake” the client | into the agency or refer elsewhere

Question 40

What are diagnostic interviews?

Answer 40

1. To provide DSM diagnosis - Structured interviews often used - - Minimize subjectivity, enhance reliability - - SCID is an example - -- Currently being revised for DSM-5 - - Semi-structured interviews include some structure but also some flexibility or opportunities to improvise

Question 41

What is a mental status exam?

Answer 41

1. Typically used in medical settings | 2. To quickly assess how a client is functioning at that time

Question 42

What are crisis interviews?

Answer 42

1. Assess problem and provide immediate intervention | 2. Clients are often considering suicide or other harmful act

Question 43

What are the cultural contexts?

Answer 43

1. Appreciating the cultural context | 2. Acknowledging cultural differences

Question 44

What is appreciating the cultural context?

Answer 44

1. Knowledge of the client’s culture, as well as the interviewer’s own culture 2. For behavior described or exhibited during interview

Question 45

What is acknowledging cultural differences?

Answer 45

1. Wise to discuss cultural differences rather than ignore 2. Sensitive inquiry about a client’s cultural experiences can be helpful