Assessment Methods and Techniques Flashcards
problem identification
determining the issue in exact definable terms, when it occurs, and its magnitude.
Beck Depression Inventory
21-item test, presented in multiple-choice formats, that assesses the presence and degree of depression in adolescents and adults
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
is an objective verbal inventory designed as a personality test for the assessment of psychopathology consisting of 550 statements, 16 of which are repeated.
Myers–Briggs Type Indicator
a forced-choice, self-report inventory that attempts to classify individuals along four theoretically independent dimensions. The first dimension is a general attitude toward the world, either extraverted (E) or introverted (I). The second dimension, perception, is divided between sensation (S) and intuition (N). The third dimension is that of processing. Once information is received, it is processed in either a thinking (T) or feeling (F) style. The final dimension is judging (J) versus perceiving (P).
Rorschach Inkblot Test
Client responses to inkblots are used to assess perceptual reactions and other psychological functioning. It is one of the most widely used projective tests.
Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scale
designed for the testing of cognitive abilities. It provides verbal, performance, and full scale scores for children and adults.
Thematic Apperception Test
is another widely used projective test. It consists of a series of pictures of ambiguous scenes. Clients are asked to make up stories or fantasies concerning what is happening, has happened, and is going to happen in the scenes, along with a description of their thoughts and feelings. The TAT provides information on a client’s perceptions and imagination for use in the understanding of a client’s current needs, motives, emotions, and conflicts, both conscious and unconscious. Its use in clinical assessment is generally part of a larger battery of tests and interview data.
Wechsler Intelligence Scale
is designed as a measure of a child’s intellectual and cognitive ability. It has four index scales and a full scale score.
9 things risk assessments may include
Frequency, intensity, and duration of suicidal or violent thoughts
Access to or availability of method(s)
Ability or inability to control suicidal/violent thoughts
Ability not to act on thoughts
Factors making a client feel better or worse
Consequences of actions
Deterrents to acting on thoughts
Whether client has been using drugs or alcohol to cope
Measures a client requires to maintain safety
Risk Factors for Suicide
History of previous suicide attempt (best predictor of future attempt; medical seriousness of attempt is also significant)
Lives alone; lack of social supports
Presence of psychiatric disorder—depression (feeling hopeless), anxiety disorder, personality disorder (A client is also at greater risk after being discharged from the hospital or after being started on antidepressants as he or she may now have the energy to implement a suicide plan.)
Substance abuse
Family history of suicide
Exposure to suicidal behavior of others through media or peers
Losses—relationship, job, financial, social
Presence of firearm or easy access to other lethal methods
Protective Factors for Suicide
Effective and appropriate clinical care for mental, physical, and substance use disorders
Easy access to a variety of clinical interventions and support (i.e., medical and mental health care)
Restricted access to highly lethal methods
Family and community support
Learned coping and stress reduction skills
Cultural and religious beliefs that discourage suicide and support self-preservation
Behavioral Warning Signs for Suicide
Change in eating and sleeping habits
Drug and alcohol use
Unusual neglect of personal appearance
Marked personality change
Loss of interest in pleasurable activities
Not tolerating praise or rewards
Giving away belongings
Isolation from others
Taking care of legal and other issues
Dramatic increase in mood (might indicate a client has made a decision to end his or her life)
Verbalizes threats to commit suicide or feelings of despair and hopelessness
Risk Factors for Danger to Others
Youth who become violent before age 13 generally commit more crimes, and more serious crimes, for a longer time; these youth exhibit a pattern of escalating violence throughout childhood, sometimes continuing into adulthood.
Most highly aggressive children or children with behavioral disorders do not become serious violent offenders.
Serious violence is associated with drugs, guns, and other risky behaviors.
Involvement with delinquent peers and gang membership are two of the most powerful predictors of violence.
Protective Factors for Danger to Others
Effective programs combine components that address both individual risks and environmental conditions; building individual skills and competencies; changes in peer groups
Interventions that target change in social context appear to be more effective, on average, than those that attempt to change individual attitudes, skills, and risk behaviors
Effective and appropriate clinical care for mental, physical, and substance abuse disorders
Easy access to a variety of clinical interventions and support (i.e., medical and mental health care)
Restricted access to highly lethal methods
Family and community support
Learned coping and stress reduction skills
Behavioral Warning Signs for Danger to Others
Drug and alcohol use
Marked personality changes
Angry outbursts
Preoccupation with killing, war, violence, weapons, and so on
Isolation from others
Obtaining guns or other lethal methods
