Psychological Testing in Mental Health [WLOs: 1, 2, 3] [CLOs: 3, 4]

Prior to beginning work on this discussion forum, read the following resources:

• Chapters 5 and 6 in your textbook
• Qualitative Clinical Mental Health Program Evaluation: Models and Implications for Counseling Practitioners and Educators
• Assessment of Depression: Which are the Prominent Mental Health Instruments in Research Studies?

For this discussion, you will develop an assessment plan for diagnosing and monitoring treatment effectiveness for a fictious client and a plan to evaluate the effectiveness of a mental health intervention program. Select one scenario from List A and one from List B.

List A: Individual Assessment Plan Scenarios (Select one scenario from this list.)

• Alberto (age 50, cisgender male, Cuban American, bilingual Spanish- and English-speaking): Alberto was referred for a psychological evaluation due to reporting difficulty sleeping, nightmares and flashbacks after a near-fatal car accident that occurred 3 months prior. Alberto is single, never married, and has no children. His parents moved to the United States when he was 3 and subsequently became U.S. citizens. Immediately after graduating high school, Alberto served in the Air Force and was wounded during a gear-up landing. He received an honorable discharge after serving 3 years. He reports having a “comfortable” relationship with his “fiancé” of 8 years. Alberto is height-weight proportionate, has an athletic build and exercises regularly.
• Emily (age 28, cisgender female, Irish American, monolingual English-speaking): Emily was referred for a psychological evaluation due to reporting depressive symptoms and relationship difficulties. Emily has been married and divorced twice and is currently separated from her third husband. She has four children ages 12, 9, and 2. The 12-year-old twins were fathered by a neighbor in his 40s who sexually abused her. The 9- and 2-year-olds were fathered by Emily’s first and second husbands, respectively. Each of Emily’s husbands and most of her boyfriends complained about her being moody and manipulative. Emily claims to be a “social drinker.” She is approximately 40 pounds overweight, but she does walk for 30 minutes three times per week.
• Joycelyn Maria (age 15, cisgender, African American and Mexican American, monolingual English-speaking): Joycelyn was referred for a psychological evaluation due to reports of a sudden drop in her grades (from all A’s to Cs and Ds). Her maternal grandmother (Maria), who lived with the family, recently died subsequent to a stroke. Joycelyn refuses to allow the family to remove her grandmother’s belonging and insists on sleeping in her grandmother’s bed to feel her close. Prior to her grandmother’s death, Joycelyn had an active social life at school and volunteered at her church in the youth ministry. Her weight is within normal limits for her age and height, but she has lost fifteen pounds due to diminished appetite. A maternal aunt calls her “flaca” (“skinny”).
• Mark (age 37, transgender male, identifies as “Caucasian,” precise ancestry unknown, bilingual English- and German-speaking): Mark was referred for a psychological evaluation due to reporting anxiety and increased self-medication with opioids. Mark transitioned from female to male at the age of 25 and reports no concerns related to gender identity. He was prescribed opioid pain medication after breaking his leg 5 years ago when he reportedly tripped and fell down the stairs. The medical report stated his injury was more consistent with being pushed than an accidental fall but Mark insists, “My absentmindedness caused me to not attend to what I should have been attending to and caused me to end up at the bottom of the stairs.” Mark is not concerned about the opioid use; however, he agreed to an evaluation when his partner gave him an ultimatum after finding several prescription bottles for the pain medication with names other than Mark’s. Mark’s weight is within normal limits for his age and height, but his partner insists he should lose ten pounds. Mark routinely exercises 4 or 5 days per week, accompanying his partner to the gym, although he does not enjoy working out.

List B: Program Evaluation Scenarios (Select one scenario from this list.)

• Anxiety Management Skills Treatment group for adults
• Art Therapy group for children who have been sexually abused
• Cognitive Behavioral Skills group for adolescents with ADHD
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy group for adults diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder
• Eating Disorder therapy group for adolescents
• Effective Communication for Couples program for adults

To successfully complete this discussion, your post must be at least 600 words and include the following:

Part 1: Individual Diagnostic Assessment Plan

For Part 1 of this discussion forum,

• Create a list of tests you would recommend for determining an appropriate DSM-5 diagnosis for the client based on information provided in the scenario you selected from List A.
• Include a one- to two-sentence justification for each test with an in-text citation to a scholarly source. Your list must include at least one valid, reliable, and culturally appropriate psychological test for each of the following categories:
  • Intelligence (Individually administered test only)
  • Achievement (Individually administered test only)
  • Objective Personality test (Select one of the following: NEO-PI-3, MCMI-IV, MMPI-3 or MMPI-A)
  • Projective Personality test
  • At least three additional tests relevant to the client’s specific symptoms (e.g., anxiety, attention, depression, eating disorder, relationship difficulties, substance abuse, traumatic stress)

Part 2: Therapeutic Assessment Plan

For Part 2 of this discussion forum

• Identify at least one assessment procedure you would recommend as a therapeutic assessment for the scenario you selected from List A.
• Include a one- to two-sentence justification for each measure with an in-text citation to a scholarly source. Be specific about the desired outcome of using the assessment as a therapeutic intervention.

Part 3: Treatment Effectiveness or Outcomes Assessment Plan

For Part 3 of this discussion forum,

• Identify at least one test or assessment procedure you would recommend for monitoring treatment effectiveness for the scenario you selected from List A.
• Include a two- to three-sentence justification for each measure with an in-text citation to a scholarly source. Be specific about which symptoms you are monitoring and how you will determine the effectiveness of the intervention.

Part 4: Program Effectiveness Assessment Plan

For Part 4,

• Identify at least one test or assessment procedure you would recommend to monitor the effectiveness of the program you selected from List B.
• Include a two- to three-sentence justification for each measure with an in-text citation to a scholarly source. Be specific about which symptoms you are monitoring and how you will determine the effectiveness of the intervention.

Part 5: Ethical Issues

Compare the ethical and professional goals and responsibilities in diagnostic assessment, therapeutic assessment, outcomes assessment, and program assessment.