chapter 3: assessing and diagnosing abnormality

assessment

the process of evaluating psychological, social, and emotional functioning through a variety of clinical techniques to determine if a psychological disorder is present

presenting problem

typically refers to the specific problem that brought the person in for help

syndrome

set of symptoms that tend to occur together

diagnosis

label given to a set of symptoms that tend to occur together

validity

the accuracy of a test, measurement, or instrument

reliability

degree of consistency in a measurement; the extent to which it yields accurate measurements of a phenomenon across several trials, across different populations, and in different forms

clinical interview

a face-to-face conversation between a mental health professional and a client in which information is gathered about the client’s behavior, attitudes, emotions, life history, and personality

mental status exam

used to organize the information collected during the interview and systematically evaluate the client through a series of questions that assess to determine the patient’s mental status at that moment

sensorium

our general awareness to our surroundings

structured interview

meeting between a clinician and a client or a client’s associate in which the clinician asks questions that are standardized and are usually designed to determine whether a diagnosis is warranted

unstructured interview

a process in which a clinician uses open-ended questions to gather information about the client; is not standardized and the questions are directed based on the client’s responses

semi-structured interview

combines standardized with open-ended questions which allows clinicians to follow up with specific questions in order to gather more personalized information

symptom questionnaire

questionnaire that assesses what symptoms a person is experiencing

personality inventories

questionnaires that assess people’s typical ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving

behavioral observation

method for assessing the frequency of a client’s behaviors and the specific situations in which they occur

self-monitoring

method of assessment in which a client records the number of times per day that he or she engages in a specific behavior and the conditions surrounding the behavior

intelligence tests

tests that assess a person’s intellectual strengths and weaknesses

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

the most frequently used intelligence test worldwide for both adolescents and adults

neuropsychological tests

tests of cognitive, sensory, and/or motor skills that attempt to differentiate people with deficits in these areas from normal subjects

computerized tomography (CT)

method of analyzing brain structure by passing narrow x-ray beams through a person’s head from several angles to produce measurements from which a computer can construct an image of the brain

positron-emission tomography (PET)

method of localizing and measuring brain activity by detecting photons that result from the metabolization of an injected isotope

single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)

procedure to assess brain functioning in which a tracer substance is injected into the bloodstream and then travels into the brain, where it can indicate the activity level of specific areas of the brain when viewed through a SPECT scanner

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

method of measuring both brain structure and brain function through the construction of a magnetic field that affects hydrogen atoms in the brain, emitting signals that a computer then records and uses to produce a three-dimensional image of the brain

psychophysiological tests

tests in which instruments are attached to the periphery of the body to record changes due to activity in the nervous system

electroencephalogram (EEG)

procedure in which multiple electrodes are placed on the scalp to detect low-voltage electrical current produced by the firing of specific neurons in the brain

projective test

presentation of an ambiguous stimulus, such as an inkblot, to a client, who then projects unconscious motives and issues onto the stimulus in his or her interpretation of its content

classification system

set of syndromes and the rules for determining whether an individual’s symptoms are part of one of these syndromes

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

official manual for diagnosing mental disorders in the United States, containing a list of specific criteria for each disorder, how long a person’s symptoms must be present to qualify for a diagnosis, and requirements that the symptoms interfere with daily functioning in order to be called disorders

comorbidity

meeting the criteria for two or more diagnostic categories simultaneously