LMSW LMSW Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis Questions and Answers 5

Question 1

A client who lost their job 6 weeks ago presents with tearfulness, difficulty concentrating, and mild insomnia. Symptoms do not meet criteria for MDD. Which diagnosis is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood

Answer

Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood applies when emotional or behavioral symptoms develop in response to an identifiable stressor within 3 months and do not meet criteria for another disorder.

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of circumstantial thinking observed during a clinical interview?

Accepted Answer

The client eventually answers the question but takes excessive, tangential detours

Answer

Circumstantial thought involves excessive, unnecessary detail and digressions, but unlike tangential thought, the client eventually returns to the original point.

Question 3

In the DSM-5, which disorder requires the clinician to specify whether the onset was in childhood or adolescence?

Accepted Answer

Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)

Answer

Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia) requires specifying early onset (before age 21) or late onset (age 21 or older) due to differences in course and prognosis.

Question 4

A social worker is assessing suicide risk and uses the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). What does this tool primarily measure?

Accepted Answer

Ideation intensity and suicidal behavior across a severity spectrum

Answer

The C-SSRS measures both the intensity of suicidal ideation and the range of suicidal behaviors on a standardized severity continuum to guide risk stratification.

Question 5

Which of the following best illustrates the difference between an obsession and a compulsion in OCD?

Accepted Answer

Obsessions are intrusive unwanted thoughts; compulsions are repetitive behaviors performed to reduce anxiety

Answer

In OCD, obsessions are recurrent, unwanted intrusive thoughts or images that cause distress, while compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts aimed at neutralizing that distress.

LMSW - Licensed Master Social Worker Practice Test

LMSW - Licensed Master Social Worker Practice Test

LMSW LMSW Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis Questions and Answers 5