Screening and Assessment Flashcards

A counselor administers the PHQ-9 during an intake assessment. This instrument is designed to screen for:

Answer: Major depressive disorder symptoms

The PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) is a validated 9-item tool for screening and measuring the severity of depression.

During assessment, a client reports using heroin daily for three years and experiencing muscle aches, sweating, and anxiety when they stop using. These withdrawal symptoms are MOST consistent with:

Answer: Opioid use disorder with physiological dependence

Opioid withdrawal classically presents with myalgia, diaphoresis, anxiety, lacrimation, and GI symptoms when use is abruptly discontinued.

Which of the following best describes 'trauma-informed assessment' in a chemical dependency context?

Answer: Integrating awareness of trauma's prevalence and impact into assessment practices without re-traumatizing the client

Trauma-informed assessment recognizes that trauma is widespread, integrates this awareness into all interactions, and prioritizes client safety and empowerment.

When a client presents with both a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder, the assessment process should:

Answer: Assess both disorders simultaneously using an integrated approach

Co-occurring disorders require integrated assessment of both conditions simultaneously, as each can affect the other and both must be addressed in treatment.

The term 'tolerance' as assessed in a substance use evaluation refers to:

Answer: The need for markedly increased amounts of a substance to achieve the desired effect

Tolerance is a DSM-5 criterion for substance use disorder defined as needing more of a substance to get the same effect, or diminished effect with the same amount.

A counselor conducting a mental status examination during assessment would evaluate which of the following domains?

Answer: Appearance, orientation, mood, affect, cognition, and thought content

A mental status examination systematically evaluates appearance, behavior, speech, mood, affect, thought process, thought content, perception, cognition, insight, and judgment.

Which ethical principle requires a counselor to obtain voluntary, informed consent before conducting a substance use assessment?

Answer: Autonomy

Autonomy is the ethical principle that supports the client's right to make informed decisions, which is operationalized through informed consent procedures.