Psychiatry - Basics of Psychiatry Patient Interview Process

Empathy

What concept refers to the psychiatrist’s ability to understand what the patient is feeling and thinking while remaining objective?

Transference

What is the process in which a patient unconsciously redirects feelings from past relationships onto the psychiatrist?

Countertransference

What term describes the psychiatrist's unconscious emotional reaction to the patient, influenced by past relationships?

Confedentiality

What essential principle ensures information from the interview is kept private unless disclosure is legally or clinically warranted?

Respect and Consideration

What element of the psychiatric interview helps ensure the patient is treated with dignity and kindness?

Resistance

What process involves the patient avoiding important issues either consciously or unconsciously during the interview?

Physician-Patient Relationship

What key dynamic refers to the mutual influence between doctor and patient?

Patient-Centered Approach

What term refers to the holistic style of interview focusing on the patient’s goals, experiences, and strengths?

Psychiatric Interview

What traditional clinical tool remains central in modern psychiatry, involving a detailed interaction between patient and doctor?

Interpersonal Relationship

What is the main tool used by early healers to relieve pain and foster healing, even in the absence of medication or surgery?

True

T/F: Confidentiality should be maintained unless there is a risk that the patient will harm another person.

False

T/F: Empathy and identification are the same and both involve sharing the patient’s emotions deeply.

False

T/F: The initial psychiatric interview should typically last 20–30 minutes for all patients.

True

T/F: Rapport can be built through both verbal and nonverbal responses.

False

T/F: Patients should not be allowed to bring in personal items like photos during the interview.

False

T/F: Transference occurs when a psychiatrist treats a patient as though they were a figure from the psychiatrist’s past.

True

T/F: A skilled psychiatrist should minimize distress and fear during the initial psychiatric session.

False

T/F: It is appropriate to guess the patient’s experience if you are unsure, to show confidence.

True

T/F: Objectivity is a key aspect of empathy in psychiatric interviews.

False

T/F: Safety during the psychiatric interview is only the patient’s responsibility.