Assessing and Diagnosing Mental Illness Don’t worry, I’ve already diagnosed everyone in this class...

Assessing and Diagnosing Mental IllnessDon’t worry, I’ve already diagnosed everyone in this class...

Does your neighbour have Major Depressive Disorder?You can pick a different disorder

if you want...Write down 10 questions you

would want to know before diagnosing them

We will see if your questions include everything that we are going to talk about today!

Frank Has ProblemsFrank is young, serious,

and anxiousLets clinically assess

him: a clinical assessment is the systematic evaluation and measurement of psychological, biological, and social factors in an individual presenting with a possible psychological disorder

We will start with a clinical interview

Mental Status ExamThis is a preliminary test of a

client’s judgement, orientation to time and place, and emotional and mental state. Often it is conducted in the initial interview.

Want to know their:◦1.Appearance and behavior◦2. Thought processes and speech◦3. Mood and affect◦4. Intellectual functioning◦5. Sensorium

Physical ExamMany problems presenting as

disorders of behavior, cognition, or mood, can have a relationship to a toxic state

This toxic state could be caused by bad food, the wrong medicine, drugs, or the onset of a serious medical condition (such as a brain tumor)

Behavioral AssessmentDirectly observe an individual’s

behavior and ask them about their thoughts and feelings

Target Behaviors are identified, and the goal is to determine what is causing or influencing them

Uses the ABC’s of Observation◦Antecedents◦Behavior◦Consequences

Psychological TestingMust be reliable and valid. What

does this mean?Includes:

◦Intelligence testing◦Neuropsychological testing◦Neurobiological procedures◦Personality inventories◦Projective Tests

Projective TestingUsing psychoanalysis, these test

give ambiguous stimuli to clients in belief that their responses will reveal their unconcsious conflicts

Examples include the Rorschach Ink Blot Test and the Thematic Apperception Test

Are these tests reliable?

Rorschach Ink Blot Test

Thematic Apperception Test

Personality InventoriesThese are self-report questionnaires that

assess personal traitsExample: NEO-PI-R, which measures the Big 5

personality traits: ◦ Openness to experience – (inventive/curious vs.

consistent/cautious). ◦ Conscientiousness – (efficient/organized vs. easy-

going/careless). ◦ Extraversion – (outgoing/energetic vs.

solitary/reserved). ◦ Agreeableness – (friendly/compassionate vs.

cold/unkind). ◦ Neuroticism – (sensitive/nervous vs.

secure/confident).

Personality InventoriesExample: Minnesota Multiphasic

Personality Inventory II (MMPI-2)Measures your degree of anxiety, fears,

obsessiveness, depression, health concerns, hallucinations and delusions, anger, cynicism, antisocial practices, Type A vs. B, self-esteerm, social discomfort, family problems, work interference, and negative treatment indicators

The test is almost 600 questions, many of them repetitive

Intelligence TestingThey can predict your academic

successYour IQ is not your intelligence!Your IQ is your score, or intelligence

quotient on one test-the Stanford-Binet Test

There is also the Wechsler Intelligence Test◦Verbal scales◦Performance scales

Intelligence TestsWhat kinds of intelligence are

there?What kinds of things should

intelligence be measuring?Attention spanPerceptionMemoryReasoningVerbal comprehension

Neuropsychological TestsDone when there is expected brain

damageTake a long time to completeMeasure language, attention and

concentration, memory, motor skills, perceptual abilities, and abstraction

Ex. Tactile Performance Test-the test taker places wooden blocks in a certain form while blindfolded (this tests learning and memory skills)

Neuroimaging Pictures of the brain using CAT

scans or MRI-these show us structures

If you want to know about the function, you use a PET scan. This measures activity of the brain

HomeworkComplete a personality test similar to one

developed by Jung and Briggs. This test will measure you on 4 different things. You

will get a 4 letter score. Mine is ENFJYou can click on further links to learn about

yourself, and what kinds of careers will be best for you!

Personality Test LinkWrite your 4 letter score in your journal and answer

3 questions:◦ 1. What does your 4 letters mean?◦ 2. Read the description about yourself. What parts do you

agree with? What parts do you disagree with?◦ 3. Do you think this is a phony test or a reliable test?

Why?