Mental Illness/Disorder Checklist

My therapist was talking with my yesterday about how they diagnose someone or assign them a DSM (?) code (example: mood disorder, adjustment disorder, depression, etc).

Does anyone have the chart or checklist, what have you, that they use to determine which category a person falls under?

I've not heard of a checklist or chart put out to determine categories. Diagnosis are made after an intake/assessment process that gathers lots of historical information, symptoms, and presentation in session. A therapist or trained professional then takes all of that information to select a diagnosis that best meets the presenting symptoms at that time by using the DSM.

Yes, but they refer to a chart/form/whatever that lists certain behaviors or feelings under each disorder.
For example:

-- Depression

• sad majority of the time
• lack of motivation
• blah
• blah
• blah

-- Anxiety -

• feelings of jumpiness
• nervousness
• fidgeting
• blah
• blah

They go through each category and circle anything that applies to the patient. After circling, they choose the disorder(s) most likely to fit the patient.

Each clinician/agency is different. I can tell you what I use.

There are 9 domains that ask for frequency, duration, behavior

1. Mood/Affect : Euphoria, Depression, Coping Skills, Anxiety, Suicidal Ideation, Homicidal Ideation, Sleep Habits, Eating Habits, Anger

2. Thinking/Feeling: Memory, Concentration, Judgement, Impulse Control, Learning Disability, Empathy, Racing Thoughts, Hallucinations, Delusions, Obsessions

3. Substance Abuse

4. Medical History / Psychiatric Medications

5. Family System: Communication, Conflict, Relationships with Members, Abuse/Violence, Marital, Parental, Child/Sibling

6. Social: Making friends, Conflict, Withdrawal

7. School/Employment Functioning

8. Legal Problems: Probation/Parole, History of Arrest, Aggressive Behaviors, Anti-Social Behaviors, Abide by Morals, Rules, Laws

9. Self Care: Financial Stability, Housing, Medical/Dental Needs, Hygiene

Therapist's may also administer scales that clients fill out on a Likert scale like the BDI, BAI, BASIS, etc.

Based on how you answer those sections, professionals can refer to the DSM based on what clients identify as their problem areas.

Yes! That's more like what she was talking about.

Do you know if there's anywhere online that I could find the complete assessment and then, I guess, the disorder/illness/what have you, that would correspond with the answers?

The DSM has criteria for all the disorders. To find criteria for the current version of the DSM (DSM IV, text revision), you can google dsm and the disorder you are interested in, or simply "dsm criteria". Lots of sites list the criteria. For example, the www.behavenet.com site is a good one. Here is the link, for example, to the criteria for depression:
http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/di...s/mjrdepep.htm

Be aware, though, that you need a mental health professional to make a diagnosis by meeting with you in person. Your therapist is trained in this--have you asked him/her?

Only a trained professional should make diagnosis. They are aware of what things are within normal limits and what is actually clinically significant enough to obtain a diagnosis. Your therapist should (or should have already) administer a type of assessment and provide a diagnosis if they use them.

My husband is a therapist so we have a copy of the DSM IV on our bookshelf. Beware if you read it though My best friend and I once read through it and decided we had EVERY single thing in it

officially mine is 300.14-- DID

There is also the GAF score which my hubby uses to determine functioning, I believe. Its on a scale of 1-100, if I remember correctly

I'm interested to see what all the criteria is for a diagnosis. I don't plan on diagnosing myself - I've already been. I'm just curious what she looked at to make her decision...

I've tried googling for an actual, complete, DSM evaluation, but I haven't been able to find one.

Hmm...maybe there's a reason for that!

Hey SarahMichelle,

My friends study mental health at uni and thats exactly what she says.... everyone can say they have EVERY disorder etc.... she said to me she was Schizophenic one day and then ADHD the next she said it is crazy how people can see themselves in just reading words.

I don't think I'm anything unless they have a diagnosis for being a complainer. Luckily my T doesn't have to worry about slotting me into something because I pay cash.

here in NY we dont use a check list. we use diagnostic testing and the clients past files. the diagnosing treatment provider opens the DSM IV TR to that mental disorder and writes the code that is next to that mental disorder..example if you open the DSM IV TR book to the page about Dissociative Identity Disorder the number what is with it is 300.14.

that number is just the american psychiatric associations designation number for Dissociative Identity Disorder. that number does not designate symptoms and severity of that disorder.

here in the USA if you want to know what severity of that mental disorder you need to go through formal diagnostics. some disorders have a simple check list for example for ADHD a family member (if person being diagnosed is a minor), the client and physician/mental health provider.... fill out a form that has on it the symptoms and 1,2,3, 4.... severities of that symptom on it.

other mental disorders like DID finding out severity is more complex than just a check list like form. you actually have to go through medical physicals with your medical doctor, brain scans, IQ testing, computerized testing, psychiatric interviews... diagnosing DID and its severity is a very lengthy and time consuming process that can take anywhere to weeks and months depending on a lot of different factors.

each mental disorder in the DSM books have their own APA designated numbers. and each mental disorder has their own process to determine symptoms and severities.

your treatment provider can give you a copy of the paperwork involved with diagnosing mental disorders and severities with your mental disorder or refer you for diagnostic testing. then that diagnostic mental health provider can give you copies of your results and report that will tell you which tests, forms were used to diagnose your mental disorder and severity.