Sadock Questions and Answers
1. Complete the following table which outlines the elements of
the initial psychiatric
interview
Answer GUIDE SADOCK Chapter 7.1 - 7.2, 7.6
2. Name, age, sex, marital status, religion, education, address, phone
number, occupation, source of referral
Answer Identifying data Topic
3. Be direct in obtaining identifying data. Request specific answers.
Answer Identifying data Questions
4. If patient cannot cooperate, get information from family member or
friend; if referred by a physician, obtain medical record.
Answer Identifying data Comments and helpful hints
5. Brief statement in patient's own words of why patient is in the
hospital or is being seen in consultation
Answer Chief complaint (CC) topic
6. Why are you going to see a psychiatrist? What brought you to
,the hospital? What seems to be the problem?
Answer Chief complaint (CC) questions
7. Record answers verbatim; a bizarré complaint points to psychotic
process.
Answer -
Chief complaint (CC) comments and helpful hints
8. Development of symptoms from time of onset to present; relation
of life events, conflicts, stressors; drugs; change from previous level
of functioning
Answer - History of present illness (HPI)
9. When did you first notice something happening to you? Were you
upset about anything when symptoms began? Did they begin suddenly
or gradually?
Answer History of present illness (HPI); questions
10. Record in patient's own words as much as possible. Get
history of previ- ous hospitalizations and treatment. Sudden onset of
symptoms may indicate drug-induced disorder.
Answer History of present illness (HPI); comments and helpful hints
11. Psychiatric disorders; psychosomatic; medical, neurologic
illnesses (e.g., craniocerebral trauma, convulsions).
Answer Previous psychiatric and medical disorders
,12. Did you ever lose consciousness? Have a seizure?
Answer Previous psychiatric and medical disorders; QUESTIONS
13. Ascertain extent of illness, treatment, medications, outcomes,
hospitals, doctors. Determine whether illness serves some additional
purpose (secondary gain).
Answer Previous psychiatric and medical disorders; comments and helpful hints
14. Substance use disorders can mimic or induce psychiatric
syndromes, elevate risk of suicide and violence, and have
important impact on safe medication prescribing.
Various tools can be used to aid in gathering the substance use
history. Exam- ples include the commonly used CAGE questionnaire
which has been modified to include other drugs (and now called CAGE-
AID)
Answer substance use/abuse
15. The interviewer is interested in obtaining an accounting of
major medical
disorders both to develop a complete history and to identify illness
that could mimic a psychiatric disorder, contribute to the context of
the presentation or factor into treatment planning.
Answer Past medical history
, 16. Psychiatric, medical, and genetic illness in mother, father,
siblings; age of
parents and occupations; if deceased, date and cause; feelings about
each family member, finances.
Because many psychiatric illnesses have a genetic predisposition, if
not cause, a careful review of family history is important to the
assessment and can aid in diagnosis and establishing expected
prognosis.
Answer Family History (FH); topic
17. Have any members in your family been depressed? Alcoholic?
In a mental
hospital? In jail? Describe your living conditions. Did you have your
own room?-
Answer Family History (FH); question
18. Genetic loading in anxiety, depression, schizophrenia. Get
medication histo- ry of family (medications effective in family
members for similar disorders may be effective in patient).
Answer Family History (FH); comments and helpful hints