Clinical Trivia Flashcards

A mandated reporter social worker suspects child abuse based on a child's disclosure. The social worker should:

Answer: Report to child protective services immediately

Mandated reporters must report suspected abuse immediately without conducting their own investigation or waiting for confirmation.

Which cognitive distortion involves believing that one small negative event will lead to total failure or catastrophe?

Answer: Magnification/catastrophizing

Catastrophizing is the cognitive distortion of exaggerating the significance of a problem to predict an extreme, disastrous outcome.

A client with a history of trauma becomes suddenly silent and appears detached during a session. This response is MOST consistent with:

Answer: Dissociation

Dissociation during trauma processing is a common protective response where the client mentally detaches from distressing material.

Which ethical principle requires social workers to respect clients' rights to make their own decisions?

Answer: Self-determination

Self-determination is the ethical principle that upholds individuals' rights to make their own choices about their lives.

The psychiatric diagnosis that requires at least two weeks of depressed mood or loss of interest PLUS at least four additional symptoms is:

Answer: Major depressive disorder

Major depressive disorder requires a two-week episode with five or more symptoms, including depressed mood or anhedonia.

A social worker who discloses personal information to normalize a client's experience is using:

Answer: Self-disclosure

Therapeutic self-disclosure involves the clinician intentionally sharing personal information to benefit the client's therapeutic process.

In family systems theory, the term 'triangulation' refers to:

Answer: A third person being pulled into a two-person conflict to reduce tension

Triangulation occurs when a dyad under stress draws in a third party to manage anxiety and stabilize the relationship.