Clinical Assessment Flashcards
7 cards from real ASWB practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Clinical Assessment flashcards as text
A client presents with persistent sadness, anhedonia, hypersomnia, and psychomotor retardation lasting 6 weeks. Which diagnostic category BEST fits this presentation?
Answer: Major Depressive Disorder
The cluster of neurovegetative symptoms lasting at least two weeks with functional impairment meets DSM-5 criteria for Major Depressive Disorder.
During a biopsychosocial assessment, a social worker learns that a client's 'panic attacks' occur only in specific social situations. What assessment distinction is MOST important to clarify?
Answer: Whether the fear is of negative evaluation versus physical danger
Distinguishing fear of negative evaluation (Social Anxiety Disorder) from unexpected attacks with fear of physical symptoms (Panic Disorder) drives accurate diagnosis.
A social worker uses the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). What does this instrument primarily measure?
Answer: Suicidal ideation intensity and suicidal behavior
The C-SSRS categorizes suicidal ideation across a spectrum of severity and separately tracks actual suicidal behaviors.
A client who survived combat reports nightmares, hypervigilance, emotional numbing, and avoidance of crowds. These symptoms began 3 months after returning home. Which assessment finding is MOST consistent with PTSD?
Answer: Symptom duration of at least one month with functional impairment
PTSD requires symptoms from all four clusters lasting more than one month with clinically significant distress or functional impairment.
When assessing a child for ADHD, a social worker MUST gather information from multiple informants because:
Answer: Symptoms must be present in two or more settings per DSM-5 criteria
DSM-5 requires ADHD symptoms to be present in two or more settings, making multi-informant data from home and school essential.
A social worker completes a mental status examination and notes that a client's speech is rapid, goal-directed, and difficult to interrupt. This finding is BEST documented as:
Answer: Pressured speech
Pressured speech is characterized by an increased rate and volume that is difficult to interrupt, commonly associated with manic or hypomanic states.
A client denies current suicidal ideation but has a history of two prior attempts and recent access to firearms. How should the social worker weight static versus dynamic risk factors?
Answer: Both static (history) and dynamic (current access) factors must inform the overall risk level
Comprehensive suicide risk assessment integrates static historical factors and modifiable dynamic factors to yield an accurate overall risk formulation.