Psychological Assessment, Psychiatric Diagnosis, and Treatment Planning

Psychological Assessment, Psychiatric Diagnosis, and Treatment Planning

S.W. Hurt, M. Reznikoff, J.F. Clarking

New York: Brunner/Mazel Publishers, 506 pp., 1991

This book begins with an overview of psychological testing. It establishes perspective by regarding the historical role of assessment in the general field of mental health. It first presents the history of the psychological testing movement, reviews the development of the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical manuals, and then relates the two. The remainder of the book is organized according to the DSM-III-R manual, discussing first the Axis-I disorders focussing on the disorders of infancy, childhood and adolescence, the schizophrenias, major affective disorders, anxiety disorders, and adjustment disorders, and then Axis-II disorders focussing primarily on paranoid, borderline, and narcissistic personality disorders.

The book uses the case method as a vehicle for teaching psychological assessment, and describes ways in which these assessment results might be analyzed, interpreted, and applied to treatment planning. It will be of particular interest for the student of clinical psychology who is attempting to acquire assessment skills that are relevant and applicable in the clinical situation. The book, while of interest to others in the mental health field, will probably not be as relevant as it is to the clinical psychologist. Those in other mental health disciplines, such as psychiatric nursing, psychiatry, and occupational therapy, would also be interested in this book since it offers a clear discussion of psychological assessment. However, the detail of its coverage would preclude its general use for these disciplines.

This book bridges a gap which has been present for many years in clinical application of psychological assessment. There is concern among members of the health care team that clinical psychology assessments do not go far enough in aiding the treatment team to generate an effective treatment plan This book enables the clinical psychologist to extend his/her capabilities and be better able to make significant input into the treatment planning process, aiding the team to make a useful plan.

In summary, this book is well written, readable, and important, especially in the area of training of clinical psychologists to provide more relevant, effective, and applicable assessment of psychiatric patients.