NRNP 6635 DIAGNOSIS AND
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS NEW EDITION
QUESTION:When was the "birth date" of psychology? - ANSWER- 1886
QUESTION:Who was Wilhelm Wundt - ANSWER- German, First psychological lab, one of the first to
identify the limits of short-term memory
QUESTION:Who was thought of as the first Clinical Psychologist? - ANSWER- Lightner Witmer
QUESTION:Who developed the first widely used intelligence test - ANSWER- Binet and Simon
QUESTION:What initiated the development of the first DSM? - ANSWER- Assessment was inconsistent.
Agreement for diagnosis was at approximately 20%.
QUESTION:When did Beck publish his study on diagnostic agreement? What did he find? - ANSWER-
1962 - After the first DSM was published, level of agreement increased to 32%-42%.
QUESTION:When was psychology recognized for treatment with psychotherapy? - ANSWER- During and
after WWII
QUESTION:DSM III - ANSWER- established in 1980, heavy dose of empiricism in DSM
concrete, discrete populations, use of field trials to check the check lists.
QUESTION:DSM III-R - ANSWER- 1987, new symptom checklists, more etiology
QUESTION:DSM IV - ANSWER- 1994
,QUESTION:What are some problems with the DSM-5? - ANSWER- 1. The shift from multiracial diagnosis
(Axis I and Axis II),
2. Psychological disorder may be less categorical and more dimensional, people below the threshold are
suffering maybe just as much as people above the threshold, 3.Generalizability-field trials done mainly in
the USA which may or may not apply to various cultures, 4. Controversy with proposed diagnostic
categories for the future 5. Rampant comorbidity- hard to do research on an individual diagnostic
criteria-adds to unreliability, 6. symptom clusters seem to overlap 7. having a DSM in the first place
creates a code for stigmatizing people
QUESTION:Defining Features of Psychological Disorders - ANSWER- 1. discontrol-lack of self-control,
inhibition (discontrol is a key element of substance use disorders, ADHD, personality disorders 2.
impairment-- What is clinically significant in regards to impairment? ex: Autism disorder used to be
diagnosed only if severe, non-verbal. What's viewed as significant has changed over the years.
Note: unclear boundaries are often prevalent in diagnosis (ex: same treatment used to address
depressive and anxiety disorders)
QUESTION:Who initiated the categorical model, recognizing its gray area? - ANSWER- Kraeplin, he began
insisting clear distinctions between normality and psychopathology.
QUESTION:Theories of dual diagnosis - ANSWER- Primary/Secondary Theory-Psychological disorder first,
then substance use disorders (SUD). Substance use is attempt at self-medication, SUD related to
neurocoginitive deficits related to disorders (ex: schizophrenia symptoms may put someone at a higher
risk for SUD). OR SUD is primary and psychological condition is secondary (ex: SUD primary, MDD
secondary). cycle of need would drive to MDD-feeling hopeless
Bidirectional Causality Model- SU influences psych disorder at the same time psych disorder is
influencing SU. cyclic in nature ex: anxiety disorders and dual diagnosis
Common Factors Model- ASP disorder common factor to explain disorder and SUD, not a lot of good
studies with conclusive factors.
Criteria to determine presence of psychopathology?
- ANSWER- 1. Psychological dysfunction with cognitive processes and/or behavior and/or emotion
2. Distress and/or functional impairment in social and/or vocational and/or education and/or daily life
3. Culturally Unexpected
,QUESTION:DSM-IV-TR - ANSWER- 2000
QUESTION:Strengths of categorical system - ANSWER- Simplicity
Credibility
QUESTION:What was the Epidemiological Catchment Area (ECA)? - ANSWER- Largest and most
comprehensive study of mental disorders ever completed in the United States. The study collected data
on the prevalence and incidence of mental disorders in the United States.
QUESTION:Characteristics of Dual Diagnosis? - ANSWER- Treatment compliance is terrible.
Higher rates of homelessness, legal trouble, treatable illnesses.
They consume the most health care dollars (despite the fact that they have trouble with treatment
compliance).
QUESTION:DSM 5 - ANSWER- 2013
QUESTION:What are some assumptions about the DSM? - ANSWER- 1. It identifies/classifies things that
are readily distinguishable 2. the accurate diagnosis of disorder is actually important -Dx facilitates
choice of a specific treatment that is effective for that disorder 3. substantiates a medical model for
psychological disorders which leads to assumption that medical intervention should be prioritized.
QUESTION:What is it that makes a discrete illness? - ANSWER- 1. There is a reliably observes set of
symptomatic criteria 2. criteria can be observed by clinicians 3. Dx are predictable in terms of their
course
QUESTION:What is important to examine in addition to psychological dysfunction for identifying cases? -
ANSWER- life impairment, perceived distress, coping styles-adaptive, maladaptive, readiness for
treatment--not ready, ready, ambivalent, social support-no, little, moderate, good
QUESTION:What are the benefits of discrete, effective treatments? - ANSWER- 1. significantly better
than no treatment or placebo 2. specific treatments rather than general treatments for all people with
psych disorders
, QUESTION:What are the five advantages of using the SCID - ANSWER- 1. increases coverage of diagnoses
covered 2. enhances ability to accurately determine whether any Dx is present 3. reduces variability b/t
clinicians, therefore leads to increased reliability and diagnosis 4. increase validity 5. very good for
trainees-takes guess work out of creating questions
QUESTION:Snowballing - ANSWER- nature of worry that's practically unstoppable once it starts For
example: Anxiety rolls over people with GAD.
QUESTION:What is the "All evidence is equally good" fallacy? - ANSWER- don't treat anecdotal evidence
and empirical evidence the same.
QUESTION:What is the "ignorance of statistical logic fallacy?" - ANSWER- inferring personality trait from
a single of limited sample of behavior. ex: person responding in anger to specific issue has anger
management issues--one instance(or 2 or 3) of behavior is not a pattern
QUESTION:DSM I - ANSWER- 1952
QUESTION:DSM II - ANSWER- 1968
QUESTION:DSM-IV - ANSWER- 1994
QUESTION:The Barnum Effect - ANSWER- common behaviors/experiences are deemed important in
diagnostic process. Ex: bereavement and depression. Also of the behaviors shown by those grieving a
loss may now be deemed as depression. May be including more ppl in the depressed Dx than we need
to.
QUESTION:The sick-sick fallacy - ANSWER- know of someone that had a disorder and compare the
individual to someone who behaves same way and say that they have that dx too.
QUESTION:The "me too" fallacy or Uncle George's pancakes fallacy - ANSWER- people who are "like us"
must not be abnormal and people who are not like us must be abnormal.Ex: pancakes everyday for
breakfast is absolutely necessary for an individual or they will break down--which seems abnormal, but
justify it by saying "oh, no, my uncle george had pancakes everyday for breakfast and he was fine."
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS NEW EDITION
QUESTION:When was the "birth date" of psychology? - ANSWER- 1886
QUESTION:Who was Wilhelm Wundt - ANSWER- German, First psychological lab, one of the first to
identify the limits of short-term memory
QUESTION:Who was thought of as the first Clinical Psychologist? - ANSWER- Lightner Witmer
QUESTION:Who developed the first widely used intelligence test - ANSWER- Binet and Simon
QUESTION:What initiated the development of the first DSM? - ANSWER- Assessment was inconsistent.
Agreement for diagnosis was at approximately 20%.
QUESTION:When did Beck publish his study on diagnostic agreement? What did he find? - ANSWER-
1962 - After the first DSM was published, level of agreement increased to 32%-42%.
QUESTION:When was psychology recognized for treatment with psychotherapy? - ANSWER- During and
after WWII
QUESTION:DSM III - ANSWER- established in 1980, heavy dose of empiricism in DSM
concrete, discrete populations, use of field trials to check the check lists.
QUESTION:DSM III-R - ANSWER- 1987, new symptom checklists, more etiology
QUESTION:DSM IV - ANSWER- 1994
,QUESTION:What are some problems with the DSM-5? - ANSWER- 1. The shift from multiracial diagnosis
(Axis I and Axis II),
2. Psychological disorder may be less categorical and more dimensional, people below the threshold are
suffering maybe just as much as people above the threshold, 3.Generalizability-field trials done mainly in
the USA which may or may not apply to various cultures, 4. Controversy with proposed diagnostic
categories for the future 5. Rampant comorbidity- hard to do research on an individual diagnostic
criteria-adds to unreliability, 6. symptom clusters seem to overlap 7. having a DSM in the first place
creates a code for stigmatizing people
QUESTION:Defining Features of Psychological Disorders - ANSWER- 1. discontrol-lack of self-control,
inhibition (discontrol is a key element of substance use disorders, ADHD, personality disorders 2.
impairment-- What is clinically significant in regards to impairment? ex: Autism disorder used to be
diagnosed only if severe, non-verbal. What's viewed as significant has changed over the years.
Note: unclear boundaries are often prevalent in diagnosis (ex: same treatment used to address
depressive and anxiety disorders)
QUESTION:Who initiated the categorical model, recognizing its gray area? - ANSWER- Kraeplin, he began
insisting clear distinctions between normality and psychopathology.
QUESTION:Theories of dual diagnosis - ANSWER- Primary/Secondary Theory-Psychological disorder first,
then substance use disorders (SUD). Substance use is attempt at self-medication, SUD related to
neurocoginitive deficits related to disorders (ex: schizophrenia symptoms may put someone at a higher
risk for SUD). OR SUD is primary and psychological condition is secondary (ex: SUD primary, MDD
secondary). cycle of need would drive to MDD-feeling hopeless
Bidirectional Causality Model- SU influences psych disorder at the same time psych disorder is
influencing SU. cyclic in nature ex: anxiety disorders and dual diagnosis
Common Factors Model- ASP disorder common factor to explain disorder and SUD, not a lot of good
studies with conclusive factors.
Criteria to determine presence of psychopathology?
- ANSWER- 1. Psychological dysfunction with cognitive processes and/or behavior and/or emotion
2. Distress and/or functional impairment in social and/or vocational and/or education and/or daily life
3. Culturally Unexpected
,QUESTION:DSM-IV-TR - ANSWER- 2000
QUESTION:Strengths of categorical system - ANSWER- Simplicity
Credibility
QUESTION:What was the Epidemiological Catchment Area (ECA)? - ANSWER- Largest and most
comprehensive study of mental disorders ever completed in the United States. The study collected data
on the prevalence and incidence of mental disorders in the United States.
QUESTION:Characteristics of Dual Diagnosis? - ANSWER- Treatment compliance is terrible.
Higher rates of homelessness, legal trouble, treatable illnesses.
They consume the most health care dollars (despite the fact that they have trouble with treatment
compliance).
QUESTION:DSM 5 - ANSWER- 2013
QUESTION:What are some assumptions about the DSM? - ANSWER- 1. It identifies/classifies things that
are readily distinguishable 2. the accurate diagnosis of disorder is actually important -Dx facilitates
choice of a specific treatment that is effective for that disorder 3. substantiates a medical model for
psychological disorders which leads to assumption that medical intervention should be prioritized.
QUESTION:What is it that makes a discrete illness? - ANSWER- 1. There is a reliably observes set of
symptomatic criteria 2. criteria can be observed by clinicians 3. Dx are predictable in terms of their
course
QUESTION:What is important to examine in addition to psychological dysfunction for identifying cases? -
ANSWER- life impairment, perceived distress, coping styles-adaptive, maladaptive, readiness for
treatment--not ready, ready, ambivalent, social support-no, little, moderate, good
QUESTION:What are the benefits of discrete, effective treatments? - ANSWER- 1. significantly better
than no treatment or placebo 2. specific treatments rather than general treatments for all people with
psych disorders
, QUESTION:What are the five advantages of using the SCID - ANSWER- 1. increases coverage of diagnoses
covered 2. enhances ability to accurately determine whether any Dx is present 3. reduces variability b/t
clinicians, therefore leads to increased reliability and diagnosis 4. increase validity 5. very good for
trainees-takes guess work out of creating questions
QUESTION:Snowballing - ANSWER- nature of worry that's practically unstoppable once it starts For
example: Anxiety rolls over people with GAD.
QUESTION:What is the "All evidence is equally good" fallacy? - ANSWER- don't treat anecdotal evidence
and empirical evidence the same.
QUESTION:What is the "ignorance of statistical logic fallacy?" - ANSWER- inferring personality trait from
a single of limited sample of behavior. ex: person responding in anger to specific issue has anger
management issues--one instance(or 2 or 3) of behavior is not a pattern
QUESTION:DSM I - ANSWER- 1952
QUESTION:DSM II - ANSWER- 1968
QUESTION:DSM-IV - ANSWER- 1994
QUESTION:The Barnum Effect - ANSWER- common behaviors/experiences are deemed important in
diagnostic process. Ex: bereavement and depression. Also of the behaviors shown by those grieving a
loss may now be deemed as depression. May be including more ppl in the depressed Dx than we need
to.
QUESTION:The sick-sick fallacy - ANSWER- know of someone that had a disorder and compare the
individual to someone who behaves same way and say that they have that dx too.
QUESTION:The "me too" fallacy or Uncle George's pancakes fallacy - ANSWER- people who are "like us"
must not be abnormal and people who are not like us must be abnormal.Ex: pancakes everyday for
breakfast is absolutely necessary for an individual or they will break down--which seems abnormal, but
justify it by saying "oh, no, my uncle george had pancakes everyday for breakfast and he was fine."
