MFT Assessment and Diagnosis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A 16-year-old presents with a persistent pattern of lying, theft, truancy, and cruelty to animals lasting over 18 months. According to DSM-5, the most appropriate diagnosis is:
- Antisocial Personality Disorder
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- Conduct Disorder (Correct answer)
- Intermittent Explosive Disorder
Correct answer: Conduct Disorder
Conduct Disorder is diagnosed in individuals under 18 who show a persistent pattern of violating others' rights or major societal norms; ASPD requires age 18+.
Question 2: The Calgary Family Assessment Model (CFAM) organizes family assessment into three major domains. Which of the following is NOT one of them?
- Structural
- Developmental
- Functional
- Cultural (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Cultural
CFAM organizes assessment into structural (who is in the family), developmental (life cycle stage), and functional (how members interact) domains — cultural is not a standalone CFAM domain.
Question 3: Which of the following is a key distinguishing feature of Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia) in the DSM-5?
- Episodes last at least 2 weeks
- Depressed mood present for at least 2 years in adults (Correct answer)
- Must include at least 5 neurovegetative symptoms
- Symptoms must cause psychotic features
Correct answer: Depressed mood present for at least 2 years in adults
Persistent Depressive Disorder requires depressed mood for at least 2 years in adults (1 year in children/adolescents) with at least 2 additional symptoms.
Question 4: When an MFT uses a questionnaire to gather information about presenting problems before the first session, this is an example of which assessment method?
- Projective testing
- Self-report instrument (Correct answer)
- Behavioral observation
- Standardized interview
Correct answer: Self-report instrument
Self-report instruments involve clients directly providing information about their experiences, symptoms, or behaviors, typically through questionnaires or rating scales.
Question 5: In the DSM-5, which specifier indicates that a person's Bipolar I disorder includes a mixed presentation of both manic and depressive features simultaneously?
- With rapid cycling
- With psychotic features
- With mixed features (Correct answer)
- With anxious distress
Correct answer: With mixed features
The 'with mixed features' specifier in DSM-5 applies when a manic or depressive episode includes simultaneous symptoms of the opposite pole.
Question 6: A client describes seeing insects crawling on their skin even though nothing is visible. This experience is best classified as:
- Visual hallucination
- Tactile hallucination (Correct answer)
- Somatic delusion
- Depersonalization
Correct answer: Tactile hallucination
Tactile hallucinations involve false sensory perceptions of touch or physical sensations on or under the skin without any external stimulus.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the purpose of using a standardized assessment instrument in MFT practice?
- To replace clinical judgment with objective data
- To provide normative comparison data for evaluating client functioning (Correct answer)
- To legally protect the therapist from malpractice claims
- To satisfy insurance requirements for treatment authorization
Correct answer: To provide normative comparison data for evaluating client functioning
Standardized instruments provide normative data that allows clinicians to compare an individual's scores to a reference population, aiding in clinical judgment.
MFT Assessment and Diagnosis 3
A 16-year-old presents with a persistent pattern of lying, theft, truancy, and cruelty to animals lasting over 18 months.
According to DSM-5, the most appropriate diagnosis is: