HSP Treatment Protocols & Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which evidence-based protocol is considered first-line treatment for PTSD in health service psychology settings?
- Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy (Correct answer)
- Psychodynamic therapy
- Supportive counseling
- Interpersonal therapy (IPT)
Correct answer: Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy
Prolonged Exposure (PE) is a first-line, empirically supported treatment for PTSD endorsed by major professional organizations and the VA/DoD.
Question 2: A health psychologist is implementing a stepped-care model for chronic pain. Which principle best defines this approach?
- Providing the least intensive intervention first and escalating based on response (Correct answer)
- Starting with the most comprehensive treatment immediately
- Treating comorbid psychiatric conditions before addressing pain
- Using pharmacological treatment exclusively in the first step
Correct answer: Providing the least intensive intervention first and escalating based on response
Stepped-care models begin with the least restrictive, lowest-intensity intervention and increase treatment intensity only if the patient does not respond adequately.
Question 3: When conducting Motivational Interviewing (MI), which technique is used to highlight a patient's ambivalence by reflecting both sides of their conflict?
- Double-sided reflection (Correct answer)
- Amplified reflection
- Simple reflection
- Affirmation
Correct answer: Double-sided reflection
A double-sided reflection acknowledges both the patient's resistance and their stated desire for change, making ambivalence explicit.
Question 4: In Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which module specifically targets interpersonal conflict and relationship skills?
- Interpersonal Effectiveness (Correct answer)
- Distress Tolerance
- Emotion Regulation
- Mindfulness
Correct answer: Interpersonal Effectiveness
The Interpersonal Effectiveness module teaches skills for navigating relationships, setting limits, and maintaining self-respect in interactions.
Question 5: A patient with treatment-resistant depression is referred for consideration of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). The health psychologist's role in this process primarily includes:
- Psychoeducation, psychological evaluation, and adjunctive psychotherapy (Correct answer)
- Administering TMS sessions and monitoring electrode placement
- Prescribing antidepressants to complement TMS
- Conducting neuroimaging to confirm treatment response
Correct answer: Psychoeducation, psychological evaluation, and adjunctive psychotherapy
Health psychologists contribute to TMS treatment through psychological assessment, preparation, and complementary behavioral interventions, not device operation.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes the purpose of a functional analysis in behavioral treatment?
- Identifying antecedents, behaviors, and consequences that maintain a problem behavior (Correct answer)
- Assessing a patient's level of functional impairment using standardized scales
- Determining which psychotropic medications are functionally appropriate
- Analyzing the neurological functions underlying a presenting disorder
Correct answer: Identifying antecedents, behaviors, and consequences that maintain a problem behavior
A functional (or ABC) analysis maps the antecedents, target behaviors, and consequences to understand and modify behavioral patterns.
Question 7: A health service psychologist is treating a patient with health anxiety using CBT. Which cognitive distortion is MOST commonly targeted in this population?
- Catastrophizing minor physical sensations as signs of serious illness (Correct answer)
- Minimizing the impact of genuine medical symptoms
- Overgeneralizing negative social experiences
- Personalizing environmental events as self-caused
Correct answer: Catastrophizing minor physical sensations as signs of serious illness
Health anxiety is characterized by catastrophic misinterpretation of benign bodily sensations as indicative of serious disease.
HSP Treatment Protocols & Procedures 2
Which evidence-based protocol is considered first-line treatment for PTSD in health service psychology settings?