Lecture 13: Diagnostics and Assessment: Luteijns CH1

Question 1

What are the 3 elements of clinical diagnostics?

Answer 1

1. Theory development
2. Problems/complaints and operationalization and its measurement
3. Application relevant diagnostic methods

Question 2

Study the table of the diagnostic process (slide 22 or luteijns p.17)

Answer 2

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Question 3

What are the 5 basic questions in clinical psychodiagnostics? Explain each

Answer 3

1. Recognition: what are the problems?
2. Explanation: why do certain problems exit and what perpetuates them?
3. Prediction: how will the client’s problems develop in the future?
4. Indication: how can the problems be resolved?
5. Evaluation: have the problems been adequately resolved bc of the intervention?

Question 4

What are some basic questions in the category of recognition?

Answer 4

Does the client meet DSM criteria of a disorder?
What is client’s personality profile?
Is the psychotic episode in full remission?

Question 5

What are some basic questions in the category of explanation?

Answer 5

What are factors causing client to relapse in drug abuse?
Does client’s personality affect the persistent course of his anxiety problems?

Question 6

What are some basic questions in the category of prediction?

Answer 6

What is the risk that client will commit violent crime?
Will client be able to resume his job?

Question 7

What are some basic questions in the category of indication?

Answer 7

Which type of therapy is best suited?
Is assisted living indicated?

Question 8

What are some basic questions in the category of evaluation?

Answer 8

Was the therapy successful in treating client’s phobia?
Is there a significant improvement of client’s mood?

Question 9

What are 3 aspects of recognition?

Answer 9

1. Inventory and description
2. Organization and categorization in disorders
3. Examination of seriousness problem behavior

Question 10

What is the difference between all-or-nothing principles and more-or-less principles in recognition?

Answer 10

All/nothing: DSM categories
More/less: dimensions of complaints and personality tests

Question 11

What are 3 aspects of the explanation of why there is a problem?

Answer 11

1. Main problem
2. Conditions that explain the problem’s occurrence
3. Causal relationship between points 1 and 2

Question 12

According to which 4 things are explanations of a problem classified?

Answer 12

1. Locus: person or situation
2. Nature of control: voluntary or involuntary
3. Synchronous/diachronous explanatory conditions
4. Induced and persistent conditions

Question 13

What is meant with synchronous and diachronous explanatory conditions?

Answer 13

Synchronous: conditions coincide with the behavior that is to be explained

Diachronous: conditions precede the behavior that is explained

Question 14

What is meant with induced and persistent conditions in explaining problem behavior?

Answer 14

Induced: give rise to a behavioral problem

Persistent: perpetuate the behavioral problem

Question 15

Prediction pertains to a relation between predictor and a criterion. What does this mean?

Answer 15

Predictor is present behavior and criterion is future behavior. The relationship is often determined by chance

Question 16

What are 3 things that are important to know before giving an indication?

Answer 16

1. Knowledge of treatments
2. Knowledge of relative usefulness of treatments
3. Knowledge of the client’s acceptance of the indication

Question 17

What are 4 steps of the strategy to take client’s preferences into account?

Answer 17

1. Examine client’s perspective
2. Provide client with info about the treatments and processes
3. Compare client’s expectations and preferences to what seems best according to the diagnostician
4. Client selects a therapist and treatment

Question 18

What are 2 aspects of evaluation of the diagnosis/intervention?

Answer 18

1. If therapy took account of diagnosis and treatment proposal
2. Whether process and treatment have brought a change in client’s behavior

Question 19

What are 2 ways of carrying out an evaluation?

Answer 19

1. Assess if complaints decreased
2. Prove changes are caused by the therapy

Question 20

For which 4 things does the PA and empirical cycle work well? And for which 2 is it more problematic? What is a solution for the problematic ones?

Answer 20

Well:
- Recognition
- Evaluation, using norms, reduction scores
- Indication using diagnosis-treatment combi
- Prediction using mechanical method

Problematic:
- Evaluation/indication and prediction without sufficient models or data
- Most explanation questions

Solution: rely on clinical judgement