Читать книгу Abnormal Psychology - William J. Ray - Страница 155
Learning Objectives
Оглавление4.1 Explain what the mental status exam is and how it is used.
4.2 Identify cultural and other considerations used in the assessment of psychological disorders.
4.3 Identify the tests and techniques used in assessing mental illness.
4.4 Discuss diagnostic considerations in approaching psychopathology.
4.5 Explain the significance of the DSM–5 and RDoC in the classification of mental disorders.
Elyn Saks told of her time as a graduate student at Oxford after graduating from Vanderbilt University. As a student at Oxford, she began to have a hard time concentrating on academic work and lectures. She turned in papers that her tutor did not understand. A friend of hers who was a nurse asked her fiancé, who was a physician who specialized in neurology, to talk with Elyn. Elyn Saks remembers the conversation as follows:
“Jean and I are very concerned about you,” he said quietly. “We think you may be quite sick. Would you mind if I asked you some questions?”
“I’m not sick,” I responded. “I’m just not smart enough. But questions, yes. Ask me questions.”
“Are you feeling down?”
“Yes.”
“Loss of pleasure in daily activities?”
“Yes.”
“Difficulty sleeping?”
“Yes.”
“Loss of appetite?”
“Yes.”
“How much weight have you lost in the last month?”
“About fifteen pounds.”
“Do you feel like a bad person?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Nothing to tell. I’m just a piece of shit.”
“Are you thinking of hurting yourself?”
I waited a moment before answering, “Yes.”
From The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness by Elyn Saks. © 2007 by Elyn Saks. By permissions of Hachette Book Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
After a number of other questions, Elyn Saks was referred to a mental health professional to diagnose her distress and formulate a treatment plan. In this chapter, I will introduce you to the ways in which mental health professionals clarify the type of problems a person is describing. This will include methods of assessment that have been developed to maximize reliability and validity. I will then discuss the major classification systems used throughout the world.
Elyn Saks
