o prepare: Review the concept of the dimensional approach with the DSM-5 and review the methods that the DSM-5 recommends to individualize where a person fits on a continuum of their illness in terms of subtypes, severity, and functional impairments. You will find these classifications in different parts of the manual and begin to be comfortable looking through it.
Next, imagine the following scenario:
You are a school social worker who has been asked to address a parent-teacher association meeting. Many parents in the audience have children who have been identified for special education services. They are confused about how to understand the diagnoses they are seeing. Others have worries about overdiagnosis. You have been advised that while these parents are generally well-informed, many dont understand the dimensional or spectrum aspects. All are worried.
You will start your video with your introductory talk to the parents on these factors. After you provide your explanation, imagine that you open the meeting to questions. You will address the question noted below that is posed by a parent in the audience. Consider your audience, and practice explaining in terms a non-professional might understand.
1. Briefly describe what the DSM-5 is and how it is organized. In your description, define the concepts of spectrum and dimensionality as explained by Paris and in the DSM-5 introduction.
2. Explain why social workers and mental health professionals use diagnoses and what receiving a diagnosis means (and does not mean).
3. Explain general concerns about the risks of overdiagnosis and misdiagnosis versus not diagnosing. Also explain how diagnosis is connected to services.
4. Explain other details that might help your audience understand the strengths and weaknesses of the diagnostic system.
Provide a response to the following parental questions:
5. My teenagers best friend died by suicide this year. Its been months, and she doesnt seem over it. Her teachers tell me she should get help for depression, but I think its just grief. She talks about her friend all the time and gets very upset. I am worried about her. Is it normal for her to still be feeling this way? I dont want to put her on medication for normal feelings. What is the difference between grief and depression?
GRADING RUBIC TO FOLLOW:
1. Presentation fully addresses all instruction prompts.
2. Presentation demonstrates an excellent understanding of all of the concepts and key points presented in the text(s) and Learning Resources. Presentation provides significant detail. Presentation demonstrates exemplary critical thought.
3. Presentation is well organized
RESOURCES:
1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013j). Introduction. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.Introduction
2. Barsky, A. (2015). DSM-5 and the ethics of diagnosis. The New Social Worker. Retrieved from https://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/ethics-articles/dsm-5-and-ethics-of-diagnosis/
3. Neukrug, E. S., & Fawcett, R. C. (2015). Diagnosis in the assessment process. In E. S. Neukrug & R. C. Fawcett, Essentials of testing and assessment: A practical guide for counselors, social workers, and psychologists (3rd ed., pp. 4358). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
4. Neukrug, E. S., & Fawcett, R. C. (2015). Diagnosis in the assessment process. In E. S. Neukrug & R. C. Fawcett, Essentials of testing and assessment: A practical guide for counselors, social workers, and psychologists (3rd ed., pp. 4358). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
5. Paris, J. (2015). The intelligent clinician’s guide to the DSM-5 (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press
Chapter 6, Dimensionality (pp 84101)
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|