Ashford University Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Health Disorders Paper

Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Health Disorders Questions

DSM-5: Anxiety Disorders

1.What is characteristic of separation anxiety disorder? Does the typical/expected separation anxiety that often occurs during childhood qualify as this diagnosis/disorder? (190-1)

2.What is involved in a specific phobia (Criteria A)? Duration? (p. 197-8)

3.What is the first DSM criterion for social anxiety disorder? (p. 202)

4.Are the panic attacks in panic disorder expected or unexpected? Is one attack sufficient? In addition to panic attacks, what else has to occur for 1 or more months (Criterion B)? (p. 208)

5.Be prepared to list 4 DSM symptoms of a panic attack? How many symptoms are required? (p. 214)

6.What is the source of perceived threat for a person with agoraphobia? In the event of developing panic-like symptoms, the person is concerned that _____ or _____. (p. 217) How many settings/situations are associated with fear/anxiety?

7.Can substances, medications, or medical conditions contribute to anxiety symptoms? (226-231)

Reichenberg Chapter 6 and Related Class Material on Anxiety Disorders

1.Is it important to involve parents when treating children with separation anxiety disorder? (Pg. 179)

2.(p. 186-7) How was “external exposure” utilized in the agoraphobia video (elevator, subway, bus) or snake phobia video? Give a specific example of “habituation” in treatment. Use the terms “long enough” and “often enough” is your description (e.g., the person must remain in the situation “long enough” for anxiety to reach a peak and then decline and to repeat the exposure “often enough” for the anxiety to extinguish). How was habituation demonstrated in the elevator video or snake video? How was “expectancy violation” demonstrated in the videos (e.g., Sedata’s believed she would get trapped and die if she was in an elevator, however that expectation was violated. Therefore, her cognitions were revised to see elevators as less threatening.). Give a specific example of its use.

3.What is a concern about using medications when treating phobias and other anxiety disorders? (p. 188) Is the prognosis for the treatment of specific phobias favorable? (188)

4.What are 2 components of the treatment plan for social anxiety disorder? (Pg. 191)

5.What is the well-established “treatment of choice” for panic disorder (196)?

6.Briefly describe interoceptive (internal) exposure (e.g., creating panic-like sensations by spinning in a chair, rapid breathing, brisk exercise, breathing through straw) in panic control therapy? What is helpful about evoking these panic-like symptoms (e.g., person gets accustomed to and learns to cope with these symptoms and realizes that, while uncomfortable, they are not dangerous)?

DSM-5: Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

1.Be prepared to provide a brief DSM definition of obsessions. Be prepared to provide a brief DSM definition of compulsions. What purpose or function do compulsions serve? (235 & 237) What are 2 common obsessions and 2 common compulsions that apply to OCD (See handout)?

2.Does a person need both obsessions and compulsions for OCD diagnosis? What are 2 ways that the obsessions and compulsions in OCD are viewed as “maladaptive” (e.g., causes significant distress, over an hour/day)? (p. 235,7)

3.What is the primary concern of those with body dysmorphic disorder (242-3)? How does skin-picking or hair removal differ in BDD from that of excoriation and trichotillomania? (246, 251, 254)

4.Why do those with hoarding disorder acquire and maintain so many possessions (Criterion B)? (p. 247) Does the DSM diagnosis of hoarding disorder apply if hoarding is the result of a medical condition (e.g., brain injury)?

Reichenberg, Chapter 7, Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

1.What is the recommended treatment for OCD? To what is a person “exposed” in ERP? What is the “response prevention” part? (p. 224)

2.Do those with hoarding disorder usually seek treatment voluntarily? (Pg. 231)

DSM-5: Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders

1.What are 3 of the main symptom categories of PTSD in the DSM and one typical symptom in each category? Note: symptoms are the actual experiences of the person after the trauma. So the first symptom category is criterion B -“intrusion symptoms”. Also see criterion C, D, & E (271-3).

2.PTSD and acute stress disorder are similar in terms of trauma exposure and symptoms. What is the distinction between PTSD and acute stress disorder in terms of duration? (281)

Reichenberg, Chapter 8, Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders

1.Ideally, when should treatment begin for PTSD? In prolonged exposure therapy, to what will the person be exposed (e.g., memory of trauma event and external cues)? (Pg. 257) Relate this to the video of the treatment of veterans with PTSD.

2.Besides prolonged exposure therapy, what are two other evidence-supported interventions for PTSD? (258-9)

DSM – 5: Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders

1.What are 4 DSM symptoms in the criteria for a substance use disorder? (Hint: use one symptom from each of the 4 PIC-SIR categories). How many symptoms are required and over what period of time? (490)

2.Besides typical symptoms of being “under the influence” (slurred speech, incoordination), what else is needed for the DSM diagnosis of alcohol intoxication? (497)

3.What are 2 similarities of the criteria for gambling disorder and the substance use disorders (consider applying the terms of “impaired control and social impairment” or elements of tolerance and withdrawal). (586)

Reichenberg Chapter 17: Substance Related and Addictive Disorders

1.According to the Stages of Change Model (class handout Unit 1), give an example the pre-contemplation stage and contemplation stage regarding problematic alcohol use. (Hint: In the precontemplation stage, people are not thinking seriously about changing and are not interested in help. In the contemplation stage, people are more aware of the consequences of their behavior and may consider the possibility of changing, while also remaining ambivalent about it.)

2.What is the primary goal of motivational enhancement therapy (e.g., to help increase the person’s internal motivation to change)? (Pg. 426 & 435) How is “client-provided assessment data” used? 435)

3.What are 4 components of a combination intervention for the treatment of substance use disorders? Note: Some answer options include: Detox, individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, relapse prevention. Relapse prevention is important to build into any treatment because it helps individuals recognize their triggers and overcome or replace their cravings.

DSM-5: Feeding and Eating Disorders

1.Characteristics of anorexia nervosa (p.338-339)? 2 specifiers? How is severity rated?

2.Characteristics of bulimia nervosa (p.345)

3.What is involved in a binge? What is the key distinction between bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder? (p.349)

Reichenberg, Chapter 11: Feeding and Eating Disorders

1.For the person with bulimia, what are common triggers for binges? What is the possible gain of self-induced vomiting? (Pgs. 322-323)

2.What are 3 distinct research-supported treatments for bulimia, anorexia, and BED? (CBT-E, DBT, IPT, family therapy in the text pgs. 319-321, 325-326) Also see Division 12 Website of Treatments for good ideas. NOTE: a multi-disciplinary approach combines many treatment components and is NOT a distinct approach. Also, manualized and diagnostic treatments are NOT specific treatments.

3.How common is binge eating disorder relative to other eating disorders? (326) Treatable? (331)

DSM-5: Neurodevelopmental Disorders

1.A diagnosis of intellectual disability requires deficits in intellectual functioning and what else? (33)

2.What are the two DSM categories of impairment for autism spectrum disorder (Criterion A & B)? What are 2 examples of symptoms within each of these categories? (p.50)

3.For ADHD, what are 3 examples of inattentive symptoms? 3 hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms? (59-60) In how many settings do these symptoms need to be evident?

4.What combination of tics makes Tourette’s disorder distinctive among the tic disorders? (Pg.81)

Reichenberg, Chapter 2, Neurodevelopmental Disorders

1.What are 2 helpful components to include in interventions for autism spectrum disorders? (Pg. 46-8) Under prognosis, what is the most important factor for a positive outcome for ASD? (Pg. 49)

2.What are 4 components in the treatment for ADHD (e.g., classroom teaching strategies, parent management training, behavioral interventions, and medications). (Pgs. 53-54) What medications are effective in treating ADHD? (Pgs. 54-55)

DSM – 5: Disruptive, Impulse-Control and Conduct Disorders

1.What are 3 typical symptoms (from DSM) of oppositional defiant disorder? (462)

2.What are 3 main categories of symptoms in the DSM diagnosis of conduct disorder? (469) What is considered more severe – CD or ODD? In what way? (474-5)

3.Why do those with pyromania set fires? Note the build-up of tension or arousal before the act and corresponding relief, pleasure or gratification during or after. Fire setting is NOT done for what other reasons? (p.476)

4.How does kleptomania differ from ordinary shoplifting? As with pyromania, note the build-up of tension in advance followed by relief, pleasure, or gratification. (p. 478-9)

Reichenberg Chapter 16, Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders

1.What is one of the most studied treatment for ODD (and CD)? What is the focus of parent management training (PMT)? What is the outcome of this intervention? (Pg. 395)

2.If kleptomania-like symptoms have a sudden onset, what must be done first in treatment? Why? (Pg. 408)