TCC Crisis Intervention & Mental Health 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The DSM-5 diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) requires that symptoms persist for how long after the traumatic event?
- More than 48 hours
- More than 1 week
- More than 1 month (Correct answer)
- More than 6 months
Correct answer: More than 1 month
The DSM-5 requires that PTSD symptoms — including intrusion, avoidance, negative cognitions/mood, and hyperarousal — persist for more than one month following the traumatic event to meet diagnostic criteria.
Question 2: Which intervention is considered evidence-based for treating PTSD in trauma-focused counseling?
- Psychoanalytic free association three times per week
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and EMDR (Correct answer)
- Non-directive play therapy for all ages
- Medication management alone without psychotherapy
Correct answer: Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and EMDR
Trauma-Focused CBT and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) have the strongest empirical support for reducing PTSD symptoms across diverse populations, including children and adults.
Question 3: In mental health counseling, the term 'dual diagnosis' refers to a client who has:
- Two separate physical health conditions simultaneously
- Both a substance use disorder and a co-occurring mental health disorder (Correct answer)
- A diagnosis confirmed by two different mental health professionals
- Both an Axis I and an Axis II DSM disorder (using DSM-IV terminology)
Correct answer: Both a substance use disorder and a co-occurring mental health disorder
Dual diagnosis (also called co-occurring disorders) refers to the presence of both a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder in the same individual, which requires integrated treatment approaches.
Question 4: Which of the following warning signs is considered a high-lethality indicator when assessing a client's suicide risk?
- Expressing sadness about a recent loss
- A specific lethal plan with available means and a stated time frame (Correct answer)
- Occasional passive suicidal ideation without a plan
- Seeking counseling voluntarily for depressive symptoms
Correct answer: A specific lethal plan with available means and a stated time frame
The combination of a specific plan, available lethal means, and a stated time frame dramatically increases suicide risk and constitutes a high-lethality situation requiring immediate safety intervention.
Question 5: When working with a client in crisis, motivational interviewing techniques are most useful for:
- Rapidly diagnosing the client's mental health condition
- Resolving ambivalence about seeking help or changing behavior (Correct answer)
- Providing structured behavioral activation homework
- Conducting a formal suicide risk assessment
Correct answer: Resolving ambivalence about seeking help or changing behavior
Motivational interviewing helps clients explore and resolve ambivalence about change or help-seeking through empathic, non-confrontational techniques — especially useful when a crisis client is unsure whether to accept support.
Question 6: The Texas Suicide Prevention Council recommends which approach for schools responding to a student suicide to prevent contagion?
- Announce the death over the school intercom to inform all students simultaneously
- Hold a large memorial assembly to honor the student publicly
- Follow postvention guidelines that include careful communication, avoiding glorification, and providing counseling access (Correct answer)
- Immediately return to all normal school activities without acknowledging the death
Correct answer: Follow postvention guidelines that include careful communication, avoiding glorification, and providing counseling access
Evidence-based postvention guidelines recommend careful, factual communication that avoids glorifying or sensationalizing the death, while ensuring counseling support is accessible, to reduce suicide contagion risk.
TCC Crisis Intervention & Mental Health 2
The DSM-5 diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) requires that symptoms persist for how long after the traumatic event?