● Include at least five (5) scholarly resources to support your assessment and diagnostic reasoning.
● Attached articles in PDF format-requirement of assignment
● Use most recent APA format
● Use the comprehensive psychiatric evaluation template EXACTLY as it is provided in your course materials. Complete every section fully. Do not add, remove, or rearrange template sections in any way. Alteration of the template may result in a significant loss of points if required content is missing from your work. Even if your site uses a different method, you must use this template for the purposes of this class. You are STRONGLY encouraged to use the provided exemplar as a guide. A copy of the template is attached to this announcement for your convenience.
●
● DO NOT add an introduction/conclusion to the assignment. This is a clinical report, not a term paper.
●
● DO NOT leave sections blank. If something was unassessed, if your patient was a poor historian or uncooperative, or if information was unavailable, indicate that in your evaluation. Do not invent missing information or fill in what you might have done in other circumstances. Report the information you gathered accurately within the evaluation and discuss the “what-ifs” in your reflections.
● If your patient reports the use of drugs or alcohol, try to collect as much detail as possible, such as the frequency and amount of their use. Be specific to ensure clarity. For example, if a patient reports being a “heavy drinker,” what does “heavy” mean? “Heavy” is too subjective. “Two bottles of wine on five nights per week” is much more precise and informative for whoever is relying on your documentation. Patients may not always be forthcoming with this information, but it is important to ask.
●
Failure to Fully Assess Both Suicidal and Homicidal Ideation
● Both need to be investigated, and homicidal ideation is the most frequently omitted of the two. When assessing for either, again, be specific. If a patient reports suicidal ideation, what is the extent of those ideations and the level of risk? Are these ideations simply intrusive thoughts without any suggestion of action? Do they have means and a plan to act on the ideations? Same for homicidal ideations and evaluating for a risk of harm to others. Be thorough if there are indications of risk.
●
Lack of Precision in Differential Diagnoses
● Recently, some students have listed broad classifications of disorders (e.g., “anxiety disorders” or “psychosis”) as one of their three differentials rather than a specific disorder that is under consideration based on the patient’s symptoms (e.g., “generalized anxiety disorder” or “brief psychotic disorder”). If more than one disorder within a particular class should be listed in the differentials, please list them separately for greater clarity in presenting how the patient’s symptoms are being understood and interpreted.
● Failure to Use the DSM-5-TR (2022)
Use of the updated diagnostic information in the DSM-5-TR is required for these assignments. Significant points will be deducted for use of previous editions of the DSM or failure to utilize current DSM diagnostic criteria in your differentials. DO NOT use sources like “VeryWell Mind” to cite diagnostic criteria. As a professional in the field, you must use the diagnostic manual. Remember – you MUST cite the DSM-5-TR in your work both in-text and in the references list for your assignment. The DSM is NOT considered a scholarly source, so please ensure your analyses are appropriately supported by recent, peer-reviewed literature as directed in the assignment materials.
● This announcement is closed for comments