LPC Psychopathology and Diagnosis 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client reports hearing his deceased mother's voice calling his name once, two days after her death. The counselor's best clinical response is to:
- Diagnose Brief Psychotic Disorder
- Document it as a normal grief-related experience and monitor (Correct answer)
- Refer immediately for psychiatric evaluation
- Apply the Schizophrenia diagnostic criteria
Correct answer: Document it as a normal grief-related experience and monitor
Bereavement-related hallucinations are a recognized normal grief phenomenon in DSM-5 and do not automatically warrant a psychotic disorder diagnosis.
Question 2: Which DSM-5 condition involves intentionally producing or feigning psychological or physical symptoms to assume the sick role, without external incentives?
- Malingering
- Somatic Symptom Disorder
- Factitious Disorder (Correct answer)
- Conversion Disorder
Correct answer: Factitious Disorder
Factitious Disorder involves deliberate falsification of symptoms to assume a sick role without external incentives like financial gain.
Question 3: A client experiences recurrent intrusive thoughts about contamination and washes hands 30+ times daily to reduce anxiety. She recognizes the behavior as excessive. The 'with good insight' specifier indicates:
- She doubts her OCD diagnosis
- She acknowledges her beliefs are probably not true (Correct answer)
- She fully believes the contamination is real
- She has no insight into the compulsive behavior
Correct answer: She acknowledges her beliefs are probably not true
The 'with good insight' specifier in OCD means the person recognizes that their OCD beliefs are probably or definitely not true.
Question 4: Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia) in DSM-5 requires depressed mood for at least:
- 2 weeks
- 6 months
- 1 year
- 2 years (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 2 years
Persistent Depressive Disorder requires depressed mood for most of the day, more days than not, for at least 2 years (1 year in children/adolescents).
Question 5: A client on antipsychotic medication develops rhythmic, involuntary movements of the tongue and lips. This is most consistent with:
- Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
- Acute Akathisia
- Tardive Dyskinesia (Correct answer)
- Medication-Induced Parkinsonism
Correct answer: Tardive Dyskinesia
Tardive Dyskinesia is a late-onset movement disorder characterized by repetitive involuntary movements, especially of the face and mouth, from long-term antipsychotic use.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of a negative symptom of Schizophrenia?
- Auditory hallucinations
- Grandiose delusions
- Disorganized speech
- Blunted affect (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Blunted affect
Negative symptoms of Schizophrenia include blunted affect, alogia, avolition, anhedonia, and asociality — representing diminished emotional expression or motivation.
Question 7: A child displays at least 6 months of developmentally inappropriate inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in two or more settings. Which DSM-5 presentation specifier would apply if hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms predominate?
- Predominantly Inattentive Presentation
- Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation (Correct answer)
- Combined Presentation
- ADHD, Unspecified
Correct answer: Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation
When the criteria for hyperactivity-impulsivity are met but not full inattention criteria for the past 6 months, the Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation specifier applies.
LPC Psychopathology and Diagnosis 5
A client reports hearing his deceased mother's voice calling his name once, two days after her death.
The counselor's best clinical response is to: