Summary of Mr. I:
Mr. I is a 46-year-old married man who has been experiencing some acute issues with psychotic thinking and agonistic/aggressive behavior. The patient has previously been diagnosed with Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder. Mr. I reported experiencing a recent pattern of diminished/lack of sleep, strange delusional thinking, religious fixation, visible hallucinations, and vague and incidental ruminating. Following intake, the patient was administered the MMPI-2-RF assessment. While it should be noted that the patient answered less than 90% of the items on some of the scales, results indicate that the patient is suffering from somatic/cognitive dysfunction, emotional dysfunction—emphasis on suicidal ideation and/or attempts, dysfunction in thought processes, and acute behavioral deviations, which present as aggression, mood instability, and irresponsible behavior. Further, the patient’s interpersonal functioning scales revealed he was assertive, direct, and able to lead others. While the patient may view himself as an individual with strong leadership abilities, others may see this as self-centered, domineering, and likely ambitious. The patient enjoys social engagements and is probably believed to be outgoing and sociable. Additionally, the patient’s interest scales indicate an above average number of interests in activities and/or occupations of physical and/or mechanical nature. Based on such findings and interpretations, this patient will need to undergo further psychodiagnostic assessment and evaluations.
Here is the link to my screencast: https://youtu.be/C4zhtTMfo30
Here is the script to my screencast presentation:
Ms. S is a 29-year-old married patient with a history of anxiety and depression; however, has recently been experiencing issues with attentional functioning. The patient has no prior or current substance use history, nor any prior diagnoses of a learning disability or conditions like ADHD. The patient is prior military, receiving an honorable discharge after 9 months due to being psychologically inept to perform assigned duties and responsibilities. She is currently working and going to school part time, but endeavors to enroll in classes full-time come fall semester. Thus, it was concluded that the patient needed to undergo a series of evaluations to pinpoint and address her current issues with attentional functioning. We are here today to provide feedback and discuss the patient’s results with her.
Hello Ms. S.,
How are you doing today? Good? Wonderful! So, I brought you in today to discuss the results of the evaluations and assessments you underwent the last time we saw each other. I am going to attempt to explain your results to you in a manner and language you understand; however, if at any time you do not understand something, please feel free to interrupt for further clarification. Okay? Great, let’s get started!
Okay, so I am just going to summarize your results for each of the measures you took. In terms of cognitive aptitude, you illustrated a within average range on the majority of subtests in both verbal and non-verbal areas. There was a slight limitation noted on a number of subtests where your score showed a low average range; however, this was likely due to your anxiety, so your cognitive ability scores are more than likely an underestimation of your true level of functioning.
Next, we will discuss your results on the achievement assessment. Aside from math computation, which we already established was a challenge for you, you performed in the expected range on the other tests of achievement. Your performance on reading comprehension both with and without accommodations was below expectation; however, again we attribute some of this to your anxiety and it causing a reduction in your overall attention.
In terms of information processing, your attention and working memory, though inconsistent, remained within the general range. You performed low on the arithmetic subtest, but this is believed to be caused by your weakness in calculations rather than an impairment in working memory. You did show issues with sustained memory, with your performance in speed and accuracy resembling that of an individual with ADHD at the 0.01 significance level.
Your language subtest indicated adequate speech and fluency, as well as no auditory or expressive language impairments. There was no evidence of visuospatial deficiencies, nor any retentive memory issues. You did show a slight impairment in initially learning an attention-demanding word list; however, demonstrated the ability to retain all the info you encoded after the delay. Overall, your memory performance is intact. Additionally, you exemplified a minor diminishment in problem-solving; however, reasoning, planning, and response inhibition is all intact.
Finally, your personality and mood scales revealed you are experiencing a great deal of psychological distress, which can be seen through symptoms of depression, agitation, tension, et cetera. Your scores also showed subjective acute anxiety, and mild to moderate depressive mood; however, your symptoms do not meet the criteria for a depressive disorder.
Overall, it can be concluded that you do harness and meet the criteria for an attention disability relative to your peers, along with meeting the criteria for mathematics disorder, which is believed to have childhood onset. Based on the findings, it would be in your best interest to receive accommodations, especially during times where you are testing.
Do you have any questions for me? No? Okay, well if at any time in the future you wish to go over the evaluation results again or need further clarification, you are more than welcome to setup a follow-up appointment with me. Thank you, and it was good seeing you again.
Each of the psychological evaluations for Mr. I and Ms. S were conducted in ethical and professional fashions. Interpretations of each of the patients’ assessment results were clear, concise, and well-within ethical codes set forth by the American Psychological Association. The measures used had strong psychometric properties in that they were both reliable and valid. In terms of two additional assessments, I would have Mr. I undergo the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Short Form (PPI-SF) as I believe this will provide even more insight into his overall condition. This measure consists of 56-items which are derived from its original version. This will measure things like empathy, social potency, fearlessness, impulsivity, emotional attachments, etc. (Kastner, Sellbom, and Lilienfeld, 2012). This assessment may be able to provide understanding into why Mr. I exhibits such acute shifts in emotion and thought processes. Another assessment that may be beneficial is the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), as the patient’s insomnia and recurrent attempts and thoughts of death and suicidal ideation are particularly worrisome. An additional assessment that I would like to administer to Ms. S would be the Personal Growth Initiative-II (PGI-II). The PGI has distinct cognitive and behavioral components that are divided into four distinct, yet connected parts: “readiness for change, planfulness, using resources, and intentional behavior” (Weigold, Weigold, and Porfeli, 2013, p. 1396). I think understanding these aspects, and to what degree harnessed, of Ms. S would maybe help account for some of the discrepancies seen in her other test outcomes, and help devise a strong treatment plan that will improve her overall quality of life. I have selected the aforementioned additional assessments for each of the patients based on their established reputation for strong validity and reliability.
Weigold, I.K., Porfeli, E.J., & Weigold, A., (2013), Examining tenets of personal growth initiative using the Personal Grown Initiative Scale-II, Psychological Assessment, 25(4), 1396-1403.doi:10.1037/a0034104
Kastner, R. M., Sellbom, M., & Lilienfeld, S. O. (2012). A comparison of the psychometric properties of the psychopathic personality inventory full-length and short-form versions. Psychological Assessment, 24(1), 261-267. doi:10.1037/a0025832
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