Module 3

• What is the purpose of clinical assessment?

  To gather information from the patient for diagnosis and treatment planning
• What does clinical assessment evaluate?

  Physical condition and medical history
• What types of tests are included in clinical assessment?

  Observation, psychological tests, neurological tests, and interviews
• What information is collected during clinical assessment?

  Client's skills, abilities, personality, cognitive and emotional functioning, social context, and cultural factors
• What are the purposes of clinical assessment?

  • Gather information from various sources (work, family, home)
  • Create a unique case history for the client
  • Understand past and present life situations
  • Develop a comprehensive picture for diagnosis and treatment
• What is the first step in the assessment process?

  Determine if treatment is needed based on clear symptoms
• What is the second step in the assessment process?

  Determine the best treatment approach
• What are some treatment approaches mentioned?

  Behavior Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Humanistic-Experiential Therapies, Psychodynamic Therapies, Couples and Family Therapy, and biological treatments
• What is the third step in the assessment process?

  To know if the treatment employed worked
• What is the first step in deciding what is being assessed?

  Asking a series of questions about the problem
• What factors are considered when determining the severity of a psychological problem?

  Frequency, intensity, and deviance of the symptoms
• What are the goals of assessment?

  Diagnostic classification, severity determination, risk screening, treatment evaluation, and behavior prediction
• What standards are used for making decisions in assessment?

  DSM-5 and International Classification of Disease (ICD)
• What methods can psychologists use to collect assessment data?

  Structured or unstructured clinical interviews, reviews of history, and physiological measurements
• What is the importance of the information obtained in the assessment process?

  It is valuable for making important decisions about the client
• What is typically included in the communication of assessment information?

  A written psychological report shared with relevant parties
• What is the role of a clinical diagnosis?

  To provide validity for treatment plans based on assessment data
• What does a complete diagnosis lead to?

  A treatment plan
• What is the clinical utility of a diagnosis?

  It aids in determining prognosis, treatment plans, and possible outcomes
• What is the distinction between subtypes and specifiers in diagnosis?

  There can be only one subtype but multiple specifiers
• What is a principal diagnosis?

  It is the main focus of treatment when multiple diagnoses are present
• What is a provisional diagnosis?

  It is used when there is not enough information for a definitive diagnosis
• What is involved in treatment planning?

  • Problem identification
  • Treatment goals
  • Treatment strategies and tactics
  • Use of scientific literature on psychotherapy
• When should someone seek help or treatment?

  When feeling sad, angry, withdrawing from others, abusing substances, grieving, experiencing trauma, or losing interest in enjoyable activities
• What is the importance of treatment monitoring and evaluation?

  • Closely monitor treatment impact
  • Reorient treatment efforts to avoid failure
• It was first published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 1952
• DSM stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
• The DSM-5 is the most recent version, published in May 2013
• What is clinical assessment primarily used for?

  It is used for diagnosing and planning treatment.
• What does clinical assessment evaluate?

  It evaluates a patient's physical condition and prognosis based on gathered information.
• What type of information is involved in clinical assessment?

  It involves the patient's medical history.
• What is the purpose of clinical assessment?

  • Gather information from different sources
  • Consider case history of the client
  • Evaluate past and present life situations
  • Create a comprehensive picture for diagnosis and treatment planning
• What is the first step in the assessment process?

  Deciding what is being assessed.
• What questions begin the assessment process?

  Is there a significant psychological problem? What is the nature of this person's problem?
• What is the focus of Step 4 in the assessment process?

  Collecting assessment data using various methods.
• What methods can psychologists use to assess clients?

  Structured or unstructured clinical interviews, reviews of history, and physiological measurements.
• What is the purpose of making decisions in the assessment process?

  To use the information obtained for important decisions about the assessed individuals.
• What do standards in the assessment process help determine?

  They help determine if a problem exists, its severity, and evidence of improvement.
• What is the second step in the assessment process?

  Determining all the goals of assessment.
• What are some goals of assessment?

  Diagnostic classification, severity determination, risk screening, and treatment evaluation.