Deck 2: Essentials of Diagnosis

Question 1

What is Kraepelin's role in the history of diagnostic classification?

A) First to propose that mental illness was a disease of the brain
B) Proposed a classification system based on possession by evil spirits
C) Used Freudian concepts to develop the "neurotic" classification
D) First to propose a psychiatric classification system based on systematic observation of clinical syndromes

Answer 1

D

Question 2

What best describes the relationship between the ICD and the DSM systems of diagnostic classification?

A) The ICD system is published by the World Health Organization and DSM is published by the American Psychiatric Association.
B) The ICD is descriptive and the DSM is etiological.
C) The DSM hopes to promote interrater reliability whereas the ICD is based on clinical judgment.
D) The DSM has a theoretical basis whereas the ICD is purely empirical.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

For each diagnostic category, which DSM section is the most useful for making a diagnosis?

A) Prevalence
B) Associated Features
C) Diagnostic Features
D) Risk and Prognostic Factors

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which outcome of acculturation places an individual at higher risk for mental health problems?

A) Rejection of the dominant culture and a relinquishing of one's original culture
B) Assimilation to the dominant culture and a relinquishing of one's original culture
C) Adoption of some aspects of the dominant culture and retention of some aspects of the original culture
D) Separation from the dominant culture and retention of one's original culture

Question 5

Which is not an accepted strategy for resolving diagnostic uncertainty?

A) Gather more information
B) Refuse to assign a diagnosis
C) Request psychological assessment
D) Get permission to contact family members

Question 6

A diagnosis should be listed with the words "rule out" when:

A) You have excluded it
B) You think it might fit but you need to gather more data
C) The patient fulfills the criteria but the diagnosis carries a stigma
D) It is rare in the clinical setting where you are working

Question 7

Which of the following is not an advantage of the DSM?

A) A classification communication system
B) High reliability and comparable to ICD
C) Descriptive diagnostic criteria
D) High validity not reliant on clinical judgment

Question 8

The DSM describes disorders as clusters of __________ and __________ that are organized around essential features and form specific constellations.

A) Stressors; triggers
B) Impairments; distress
C) Signs; symptoms
D) Thoughts; behaviors

Question 9

The single most common diagnostic error in clinical practice involves failing to take _____________________ into consideration.

A) Substance-related etiology
B) General medical conditions
C) Comorbid diagnoses
D) Pre-existing mental disorders

Question 10

Premorbid functioning refers to:

A) A client's overall level of depression before hospitalization
B) A client's overall level of insight before intake
C) A client's overall level of motor functioning before death
D) A client's overall level of functioning before the onset of a disorder