LMHC Evaluation Requirements 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which diagnostic classification system is primarily used by LMHCs in the United States for clinical diagnosis?
- ICD-10-CM
- DSM-5-TR (Correct answer)
- PDM-2
- RDoC
Correct answer: DSM-5-TR
The DSM-5-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition, Text Revision) is the standard diagnostic reference for mental health clinicians in the U.S.
Question 2: During an initial assessment, a counselor asks a client to recall three words after five minutes. This task primarily evaluates which cognitive function?
- Attention and concentration
- Short-term memory (Correct answer)
- Executive functioning
- Language processing
Correct answer: Short-term memory
Delayed word recall is a classic screening task for short-term (recent) memory impairment.
Question 3: A counselor documents 'flight of ideas' in a mental status exam. This term describes which aspect of the assessment?
- Mood
- Thought process (Correct answer)
- Perceptual disturbances
- Insight
Correct answer: Thought process
Flight of ideas is a thought process disturbance characterized by rapid shifts between loosely connected ideas, often seen in mania.
Question 4: Which instrument is specifically designed to assess PTSD symptom severity in adults using DSM-5 criteria?
- Beck Anxiety Inventory
- PCL-5
- CAPS-5 (Correct answer)
- Trauma Symptom Inventory
Correct answer: CAPS-5
The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) is the gold-standard clinician-administered diagnostic measure for PTSD.
Question 5: A counselor is conducting a functional assessment. What is the primary goal of this type of evaluation?
- Assigning a psychiatric diagnosis
- Identifying a client's level of daily functioning and impairment (Correct answer)
- Measuring intelligence and cognitive capacity
- Determining medication needs
Correct answer: Identifying a client's level of daily functioning and impairment
Functional assessments evaluate how symptoms affect a client's ability to perform daily activities and maintain role functioning.
Question 6: A counselor administers the Beck Depression Inventory-II to track treatment progress. This represents which assessment function?
- Diagnostic screening
- Treatment outcome monitoring (Correct answer)
- Differential diagnosis
- Intake triage
Correct answer: Treatment outcome monitoring
Using the BDI-II at regular intervals to track symptom change constitutes outcome monitoring, a key function of ongoing assessment.
Question 7: Which factor most directly threatens the internal validity of a psychological assessment?
- Using a translated instrument
- Testing in a noisy environment
- Client fatigue during a lengthy battery (Correct answer)
- Selecting a norm-referenced tool
Correct answer: Client fatigue during a lengthy battery
Client fatigue can reduce performance and engagement, introducing systematic error that undermines the accuracy of results.
LMHC Evaluation Requirements 3
Which diagnostic classification system is primarily used by LMHCs in the United States for clinical diagnosis?