Ch 6: Assessment: Interviewing and Observation

Question 1

What are the common goals of assessment and psychotherapy interviews?

Answer 1

• establish and maintain rapport
• convey respect, empathy
• gather information not easily assessed in psychometric tests
• attend to verbal and nonverbal cues
• encourage client to ask questions and engage in service
• can involve individual, couple or family
• communicate service expectations and limits of confidentiality

Question 2

What is a major pro of an interview?

Answer 2

• face to face allows you to pick up on other cues

- ex. how they attend, body language, appearance

Question 3

What is the goal of an assessment interview?

Answer 3

• goal is to gather information needed for case formulation and diagnosis
• inform treatment or referral recommendations
• focus on specific areas
• 1 or 2 sessions

Question 4

What is the goal of psychotherapy interviews?

Answer 4

• goal to guide and promote behavioural, cognitive and emotional change
• focus on specific issues to explore client understanding encourage alternative perspectives and develop change strategies
• information gathering concentrated to first few sessions

Question 5

What are the limits of confidentiality?

Answer 5

• protection from harm
• harm to self
• harm to others
• harm from others
• abuse of a minor
• when required by law

Question 6

What are the three types of interviews?

Answer 6

• unstructured
• semi-structured
• structured

Question 7

What characterizes an unstructured interview?

Answer 7

• no specified structure or sequence of questions
• typically more open-ended questions
• most common format of clinical interviews
• most training needed

Question 8

What characterizes semi-structured interviews?

Answer 8

• questions follow general sequence and structure, but allow for customization and follow-up prompts
• typically mix of open and close-ended questions

Question 9

What characterizes a structured interview?

Answer 9

• questions stated and delivered in precise way, queries/prompts only if specified
• typically more closed-ended questions
• most often used in population surveys
• leas training needed

Question 10

What type of language is important to use in interviewing?

Answer 10

• strengths-based language and approach while still gathering information on client/family struggles and psychosocial functioning

Question 11

What is SCID-5?

Answer 11

• structured clinical interview for DSM-5
• most widely used
• very broad and time consuming
• do not need to administer all of it
• four versions depending on need: research, clinician, personality disorders, clinical trials

Question 12

What is ADIS-5?

Answer 12

• anxiety and related disorders interview schedule for DSM-5
• less broad than SCID-5, more deep and less time consuming
• child and parent versions for DSM-IV

Question 13

What are some general issues in interviewing?

Answer 13

• skills in questioning
• skills in listening and attending
• asking about sensitive issues
• cultural sensitivity
• adapting to children, couples, families, and older adults

Question 14

What is important for assessment interviews with children?

Answer 14

• language is developmentally appropriate
• visual cues are helpful
• interactivity

Question 15

What factors must be balanced in interviews?

Answer 15

• rapport vs information-gathering
• open vs. closed-ended questions
• directiveness vs non-directiveness
• eye-contact vs. averted gaze

Question 16

What are some examples of “pursuing a line of questioning”?

Answer 16

• tell me more about…
• can you explain what you mean by..
• can you give me an example of…

Question 17

What are some examples of “problem definition questions”?

Answer 17

• tell me what you mean by…
• what happens when…
• describe what it is like when…

Question 18

What factors are you looking for with problem definition questions?

Answer 18

• frequency: how often does this happen, are there times when its better or worse
• intensity: how hard is it to do, what is the effect
• duration: when did this start, how long has it been going on

Question 19

What are the aspects of assessing suicide risk?

Answer 19

• crucial responsibility to determine suicide risk in certain situations, especially with clients who report depressive symptoms
• common misconception that asking about or talking about suicide encourages risky behaviours
• various assessment strategies/mnemonics

Question 20

What are the mnemonics for assessing suicide risk?

Answer 20

• IS PATH WARM
• SAD PERSONS
• H(e)LP

Question 21

Where are observations conducted?

Answer 21

• clinic
• school and home (naturalistic)
• important data can be gathered by observing the client across settings

Question 22

What factors can be observed?

Answer 22

• activity level
• attention span
• impulsivity
• speech
• physical movments
• interactions with others

Question 23

What are the advantages of self-monitoring?

Answer 23

• not susceptible to same memory fading as retrospective reports
• helps establish baseline for behaviour or problem that is focus of treatment
• adaptable to use with devices (phones, wearables)

Question 24

What are the challenges of self-monitoring?

Answer 24

• data not always accurate (forget to record, misunderstand task, reluctant to disclose)
• susceptible to reactivity (change in phenomenon being monitored due to process of being observed)