The Clinical Interview Using DSM-IV-TR: Volume 1: Fundamentals » (New Edition)

Othmer, E

In this new edition, completely updated for DSM-IV-TR, the authors transform their professional experience into clear, concise, practical, and learnable skills. They teach how to master each of the four basic interview components separately, and how to make them interact optimally during the five phases of the patient interview. Also included is an example of a write-up of a psychiatric evaluation that will satisfy most third-party payers, taking the reader through the write-up step by step and showing how it can be adapted to virtually any procedural or research need.

Changes to this edition:

• Addition of discussion of violence and duty to warn
• Expansion of attention problems, suicide intent, and comorbidities of personality disorders
• Addition of formal assessments of executive functions and of dementia (in appendix)

As with the previous edition, The Clinical Interview Using DSM-IV-TR presents a unique vision of how to use the most powerful assessment strategies developed in the field of clinical psychology and psychiatry.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Diana Marta, BSN, RN(Rush University Medical Center)
Description:This clear and practical guide to the clinical psychiatric interview breaks the process down into four parts: establishing rapport with the client, how to apply effective interviewing techniques, assessing mental status, and diagnostic decision making, based on the DSM IV TR.
Purpose:It guides the clinician in how to approach a client so that diagnostic criteria are highlighted and appropriate treatments can be applied. This volume coincides with the publication of DSM IV TR and uses the current consensus diagnoses. It does an excellent job illustrating the "rights" and "wrongs" of interviewing techniques and how different approaches can elicit varying information and levels of cooperation.
Audience:The book can benefit any clinician but it is especially useful for mental health professionals and psychiatric residents hoping to perfect their interviewing and assessment techniques. It breaks down the process into understandable and manageable components. The authors both have high credentials in the field of academic and clinical psychiatry.
Features:This is a wonderful guide to conducting the initial psychiatric interview. It not only enhances an understanding of the DSM IV TR, but provides excellent clinical examples and transcripts to illustrate the rationale behind diagnoses and the approaches used to arrive at them. The introductory outlines in each chapter are helpful, as are the clearly designed charts and diagrams. This particular edition goes on to demonstrate how to clearly document the clinical interview, so necessary in this age of managed care and third-party payors.
Assessment:This is the best teaching instrument I've encountered on how to conduct the psychiatric interview. It is well organized, clearly presented, and even demonstrates the novice's vs. instructor's approach to interviewing techniques to illustrate the most effective way to elicit information and engage the client in the process.