Intake, Assessment, and Diagnosis Flashcards
7 cards from real LMHC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Intake, Assessment, and Diagnosis flashcards as text
A counselor is assessing a client who reports periods of elevated mood, decreased need for sleep, increased goal-directed activity, and grandiosity lasting 4 days without significant impairment. This BEST describes:
Answer: Hypomanic Episode
A Hypomanic Episode is defined by the same elevated mood symptoms as mania but lasting at least 4 days and not causing marked impairment or requiring hospitalization.
Which of the following ethical obligations MOST directly applies to a counselor who obtains informed consent before conducting an assessment?
Answer: Autonomy
Informed consent upholds client autonomy by ensuring clients understand and freely agree to the assessment process before it begins.
During assessment, a client describes seeing family members who died years ago appearing in his bedroom at night. Before diagnosing a psychotic disorder, the counselor should FIRST explore:
Answer: The client's cultural and spiritual background
In some cultural traditions, visions of deceased relatives are normal and spiritually meaningful, not indicative of psychopathology; cultural context must be evaluated first.
A client presents with persistent difficulty discarding possessions, leading to severely cluttered living spaces that impair function. The MOST appropriate DSM-5 diagnosis is:
Answer: Hoarding Disorder
Hoarding Disorder is a distinct DSM-5 diagnosis characterized by persistent difficulty discarding items regardless of value, resulting in clutter that impairs functioning.
Which assessment tool is MOST appropriate for measuring the severity of PTSD symptoms in adults?
Answer: PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)
The PCL-5 is a 20-item self-report measure that assesses DSM-5 PTSD symptom severity and is widely validated for adult populations.
A client reports that for most of the past 2 years they have felt depressed more days than not, with low energy and poor concentration, but have never had a Major Depressive Episode. The BEST diagnosis is:
Answer: Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)
Persistent Depressive Disorder requires depressed mood for at least 2 years (1 year in children/adolescents) with 2+ associated symptoms, but without meeting full MDD criteria.
When using the SOAP note format during intake documentation, what type of information belongs in the 'Objective' section?
Answer: Clinician observations, test results, and measurable data
The Objective section contains verifiable, measurable data such as MSE observations, screening scores, and behavioral observations made by the clinician.