LMSW Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client reports hearing voices that comment on their behavior, believing neighbors are poisoning their water, and showing significant social withdrawal for 7 months. The most likely diagnosis is:
- Schizophreniform Disorder
- Schizoaffective Disorder
- Schizophrenia (Correct answer)
- Brief Psychotic Disorder
Correct answer: Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia requires two or more positive/negative symptoms for at least 6 months with social or occupational dysfunction, which this client meets.
Question 2: Which assessment tool is specifically designed to screen for alcohol use disorders and includes questions about dependence symptoms?
- PHQ-9
- GAD-7
- AUDIT (Correct answer)
- Columbia Protocol
Correct answer: AUDIT
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a 10-item WHO-developed tool that screens for hazardous, harmful, and dependent alcohol use.
Question 3: A social worker observes a client shifting rapidly from discussing sadness to laughing inappropriately within minutes without an external trigger. This is best described as:
- Flat affect
- Labile affect (Correct answer)
- Blunted affect
- Euphoric mood
Correct answer: Labile affect
Labile affect refers to rapid, unpredictable shifts in emotional expression that are disproportionate or unrelated to context.
Question 4: Under DSM-5, Borderline Personality Disorder requires pervasive instability in multiple areas. Which of the following is NOT a core diagnostic criterion?
- Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
- Recurrent suicidal behavior or self-mutilation
- Persistent auditory hallucinations (Correct answer)
- Chronic feelings of emptiness
Correct answer: Persistent auditory hallucinations
Persistent auditory hallucinations are not a DSM-5 criterion for BPD; BPD may include transient paranoia or dissociation under stress but not sustained psychosis.
Question 5: A client with Generalized Anxiety Disorder reports that their worry is difficult to control and is accompanied by muscle tension, irritability, and poor sleep. How many total symptoms does DSM-5 require for this diagnosis in adults?
- 2 of 6 associated symptoms
- 3 of 6 associated symptoms (Correct answer)
- 4 of 6 associated symptoms
- 5 of 6 associated symptoms
Correct answer: 3 of 6 associated symptoms
DSM-5 requires at least 3 of 6 associated symptoms (restlessness, fatigue, concentration problems, irritability, muscle tension, sleep disturbance) for adults with GAD.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes the purpose of a functional assessment in clinical social work practice?
- Diagnosing the client's DSM-5 condition
- Measuring a client's cognitive IQ and academic abilities
- Evaluating how a client's strengths and limitations affect their daily functioning (Correct answer)
- Determining eligibility for disability benefits
Correct answer: Evaluating how a client's strengths and limitations affect their daily functioning
A functional assessment examines how mental, physical, and social factors impact a client's ability to perform daily activities and roles.
Question 7: A social worker suspects a client has an eating disorder and wants to use a validated screening tool. Which instrument is most appropriate?
- Beck Depression Inventory
- Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) (Correct answer)
- Mood Disorder Questionnaire
- Mini-Mental State Examination
Correct answer: Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q)
The EDE-Q is a widely validated self-report measure that screens for eating disorder psychopathology including dietary restraint and shape/weight concerns.
LMSW Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis 3
A client reports hearing voices that comment on their behavior, believing neighbors are poisoning their water, and showing significant social withdrawal for 7 months.
The most likely diagnosis is: