PSYC 3140 Lecture Notes - Shoplifting, Workaholic, Hypochondriasis

• School: York University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 3140
• Professor: Joel Goldberg

Document Summary

Assessment is the process of gathering information about people"s symptoms and the possible. A diagnosis is a label attached to a set of symptoms that tend to occur together. Ask about his current symptoms, including their severity and chronicity. Try to ascertain how much the symptoms are interfering with ability to function in the various. The criteria for diagnosing most psychological disorders require that the symptoms be severe and pervasive enough that they are interfering with the person"s ability to function in daily life. Also be very helpful to know how he is coping with the stress of his life and his symptoms. Know about any recent events in persons life and whether onset of symptoms is tied to these life domains of life events. Symptoms that are triggered by a specific event often have a different prognosis and require different treatment from symptoms that arise spontaneously. An individual"s history of psychological problems is also important in the assessment.