Discussion 4 | Instrument Options & Selection in Pediatric Clinical Mental Health

Review

  • Review the following resources to prepare for this week’s discussion and assignment.
  • Enhancing the Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorders via A Model of Culturally Sensitive Childhood Assessment (opens in new window)
  • Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: The Child Psychiatrist Perspective (opens in new window)
  • Use of Evidence-based Assessment for Childhood Anxiety Disorders in Community Practice (opens in new window)

Watch this video to prepare for this week’s discussion and assignment.

InBrief: Early Childhood Mental Health [00:05:06]

  • https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-early-childhood-mental-health-video/ (Link to video, copy and paste)

Understanding the types of mental illnesses that a professional may encounter in the psychology field is imperative for a competent professional. While this program is non-clinical, it is still likely that graduates will work within the clinical mental health population, providing support and care.

Respond
Review the following case study:

Anna is a 15-year-old, Hispanic female. She comes to your church pastoral care office for support. She reports that she is engaged in some substance use (alcohol and marijuana) and is cutting herself several days a month. She reports that she is not suicidal, but rather feels insignificant, down, and is tearful most days of the week. She also reports frequent panic attacks, especially at school. These make it difficult for her to attend school as she is supposed to. She has a supportive family and states that they love her but do not understand her current issues. She states that her mother tells her that she just needs to “pray and read the Bible more” and her father is usually not home due to his strenuous work schedule. She has three younger siblings (ages 8, 10, 12) that she often provides care for when her mother is at work. Anna struggles to express her goals for the future. You know that you can provide spiritual support to Anna but must also refer her to a clinical professional.

Using the Online Assessment Measures (https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/educational-resources/assessment-measures) identify three pediatric-appropriate instruments that you would suggest for Anna’s clinical mental health professional to use with her.
One from Level 1
One from Level 2
One from either: Disorder-Specific Severity Measures, Disability Measures, Personality Inventories, or Early Development & Home Background
Requirements

Initial Post: 150-­250 words