Assessment and Diagnosis of the Psychiatric Patient

Assessment and Diagnosis of the Psychiatric Patient

A sensitively crafted intake assessment can be a powerful therapeutic tool. It can establish rapport between patient and therapist, further the therapeutic alliance, alleviate anxiety, provide reassurance, and facilitate the flow of information necessary for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan.

—Pamela Bjorklund, clinical psychologist

Whether you are treating patients for physical ailments or clients for mental health issues, the assessment process is an inextricable part of health care. To properly diagnose clients and develop treatment plans, you must have a strong foundation in assessment. This includes a working knowledge of assessments that are available to aid in diagnosis, how to use these assessments, and how to select the most appropriate assessment based on a client’s presentation.

This week, as you explore assessment and diagnosis of patients in mental health settings, you examine assessment tools, including their psychometric properties and appropriate uses. You also familiarize yourself with the DSM-5-TR classification system.

 

Required Readings (click to expand/reduce)

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Section I: DSM-5 basics. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.5555/appi.books.9780890425787.Section_1

Carlat, D. J. (2017). The psychiatric interview (4th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

• Chapter 34, Writing Up the Results of the Interview

Sadock, B. J., Sadock, V. A., & Ruiz, P. (2015). Kaplan & Sadock’s synopsis of psychiatry (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

• Chapter 5, Examination and Diagnosis of the Psychiatric Patient

• Chapter 6, Classification in Psychiatry

Chapter 31, Child Psychiatry (Sections 31.1 and 31.2 only)

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (1995). Practice parameters for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents. https://www.aacap.org/App_Themes/AACAP/docs/practice_parameters/psychiatric_assessment_practice_parameter.pdf

 

American Psychiatric Association. (2016). Practice guidelines for the psychiatric evaluation of adults (3rd ed.). https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/pdf/10.1176/appi.books.9780890426760

Sadock, B. J., Sadock, V. A., & Ruiz, P. (2017). Classification in psychiatry. In Kaplan and Sadock’s Concise Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry (4th ed., pp. 1–8). Wolters Kluwer.

Sadock, B. J., Sadock, V. A., & Ruiz, P. (2017). Psychiatric interview, history, and mental status examination. In Kaplan and Sadock’s Concise Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry (4th ed., pp. 39–52). Wolters Kluwer.

Sadock, B. J., Sadock, V. A., & Ruiz, P. (2017). Medical assessment and laboratory testing in psychiatry. In Kaplan and Sadock’s Concise Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry (4th ed., pp. 16–21). Wolters Kluwer.

Required Media (click to expand/reduce)

Classroom Productions. (Producer). (2015). Diagnostic criteria [Video]. Walden University.

MedEasy. (2017). Psychiatric history taking and the mental status examination | USMLE & COMLEX [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5KwDgWX8L8

Psychiatry Lectures. (2015). Psychiatry lecture: How to do a psychiatric assessment [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRiCntvec5U

 

Discussion: The Psychiatric Evaluation and Evidence-Based Rating Scales

Assessment tools have two primary purposes: 1) to measure illness and diagnose clients, and 2) to measure a client’s response to treatment. Often, you will find that multiple assessment tools are designed to measure the same condition or response. Not all tools, however, are appropriate for use in all clinical situations. You must consider the strengths and weaknesses of each tool to select the appropriate assessment tool for your client. For this Discussion, as you examine the assessment tool assigned to you by the Course Instructor, consider its use in psychotherapy.

To Prepare:

• Review this week’s Learning Resources and reflect on the insights they provide regarding psychiatric assessment and diagnosis.

• Consider the elements of the psychiatric interview, history, and examination.

• Consider the assessment tool assigned to you by the Course Instructor.

By Day 3 of Week 2

Post a brief explanation of three important components of the psychiatric interview and why you consider these elements important.

Explain the psychometric properties of the rating scale you were assigned (Montreal Cognitive Assessment). Explain when it is appropriate to use this rating scale with clients during the psychiatric interview and how the scale is helpful to a nurse practitioner’s psychiatric assessment. Support your approach with evidence-based literature.

 

 

Rubric Detail

Name: NRNP_6635_Week2_Discussion_Rubric

Main Posting:

 

Response to the discussion question is reflective with critical analysis and synthesis representative of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources.–

Excellent 40 (40%) – 44 (44%)

Thoroughly responds to the discussion question(s).

 

Is reflective with critical analysis and synthesis representative of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources.

 

No less than 75% of post has exceptional depth and breadth.

 

Supported by at least 3 current credible sources.

Writing–

Excellent 6 (6%) – 6 (6%)

Written clearly and concisely.

Contains no grammatical or spelling errors.

Further adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.

Timely and full participation–

Excellent 9 (9%) – 10 (10%)

Meets requirements for timely, full, and active participation.

 

Posts main discussion by due date.

Order Assessment and Diagnosis of the Psychiatric Patient Paper Today!