The same is true of a patient who is suffering from a mental disorder. If not, the measurement tools they use to assess cars are flawed. Outside of clinical assessment, when our car has an issue and we take it to the mechanic, we want to make sure that what one mechanic says is wrong with our car is the same as what another says, or even two others. First, we want the assessment to be reliable or consistent. Actually, these three are important to science in general. The assessment process involves three critical concepts – reliability, validity, and standardization. It should be clear from this discussion that clinical assessment is an ongoing process. In recap, obtaining the baselines happens in the beginning, implementing the treatment plan that is agreed upon happens more so in the middle, and then making sure the treatment produces the desired outcome occurs at the end. Knowing what the person’s baselines are for different aspects of psychological functioning will help us to see when improvement occurs. We will even want to measure after the treatment ends to make sure symptoms of the disorder do not return. This will involve measuring before any treatment is used and then measuring the behavior while the treatment is in place. Finally, we need to know if the treatment we employed worked. Even if several can work well, it does not mean a particular therapy will work well for that specific client. Of course, for any mental disorder, some of the aforementioned therapies will have greater efficacy than others. These include Behavior Therapy, Cognitive and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Humanistic-Experiential Therapies, Psychodynamic Therapies, Couples and Family Therapy, and biological treatments (psychopharmacology). As you will see later in this module, there are numerous approaches to treatment. Assuming a treatment is needed, our second reason to engage in clinical assessment will be to determine what treatment will work best. By having a clear accounting of the person’s symptoms and how they affect daily functioning, we can decide to what extent the individual is adversely affected. First, we need to determine if a treatment is even needed. Clinical assessment is not just conducted at the beginning of the process of seeking help but throughout the process. This collection of information involves learning about the client’s skills, abilities, personality characteristics, cognitive and emotional functioning, the social context in terms of environmental stressors that are faced, and cultural factors particular to them such as their language or ethnicity.
#Validity and reliability in assessment methods professional#
List and describe seven methods of assessment.įor a mental health professional to be able to effectively help treat a client and know that the treatment selected worked (or is working), he/she first must engage in the clinical assessment of the client, or collecting information and drawing conclusions through the use of observation, psychological tests, neurological tests, and interviews to determine the person’s problem and the presenting symptoms.Clarify why clinical assessment is an ongoing process.Discuss reasons to seek treatment and the importance of psychotherapy.ģ.1.Clarify how mental health professionals diagnose mental disorders in a standardized way.Describe clinical assessment and methods used in it.Treatment of Mental Disorders – An Overview Diagnosing and Classifying Abnormal Behavior Finally, we discuss the reasons why people may seek treatment and what to expect when doing so. In terms of clinical diagnosis, we will discuss the two main classification systems used around the world – the DSM-5 and ICD-10. We will define assessment and then describe key issues such as reliability, validity, standardization, and specific methods that are used. Module 3 covers the issues of clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.