One of the most important activities of Clinical/Community Psychologists is the assessment of a patient’s presenting problems- also known as the diagnostic interview. We have talked extensively about the types of interviews (structured vs. unstructured) and the various assessments (personality, intellectual, neuropsychological, etc.) the clinician must use to answer the referral question and determine an effective treatment plan.
For, you will create an unstructured interview for a patient with the following referral question/case study:
Tim is a 17-year-old, male who is referred by his mother after experiencing an automobile accident 4 weeks ago where his best friend was killed. Per his mother, he is experiencing significant nightmares related to the accident, flashbacks throughout the day, and most notably, significant fear and avoidance of riding or driving in a car. His mother is able to provide the following information before you meet with Tim:
It was the last week of school, and academic responsibilities were winding down. Seeing as all assignments were completed, Tim, his best friend, Ron, and two other friends decided to skip school for the day to enjoy some “early summer fun.” They headed down the street to the nearest 7-11 to grab some junk food, with the expectation that they would return before getting caught. In their hurry to get to 7-11, Ron raced down the street, presumably exceeding the speed limit. Ron lost control of the car, it veered to the right from the road, hit a sign, and in an attempt to correct and prevent more damage, Ron overcorrected, and the car rolled.
Tim lost consciousness at some point in the accident, but regained it at the hospital where he asked me (his mother) what happened. I simply stated that he was in a car accident which appeared to trigger his memories. He asked about Ron and the other boys and I told him that Ron did not survive, but the other boys will recover from their injuries.
Based on this referral question and brief information from Tim’s mother, please create the following:
An outline of questions you would ask the patient (you do not need to provide patient answers). Pretend this is an actual client you are meeting for the first time. You will want to get detailed information regarding current symptoms, as well as other possible symptoms needed for a specific diagnosis. Make sure you also obtain information regarding the duration, intensity, and frequency of these symptoms, as well as impact to daily functioning. Finally, it is also important to identify any additional psychological history/previous experiences that may be impacting the individual’s current mental status.
Identify what type of behavioral, personality, intellectual, or neuropsychological evaluations you would also want to administer to help you make your diagnosis. Don’t forget to think about possible comorbid diagnoses, not just an obvious diagnosis. Please include why these would be helpful.
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