PSYC 3390 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Broad Group, Substance Dependence, Histrionic Personality Disorder

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 3390
• Professor: Margaret Lumley

Document Summary

First a clinician must identify the presenting problem, or major symptoms or behaviours: an adequate assessment includes much more than the diagnostic label. For example, it should include an objective description of the persons behaviour: assessment should include a description of any relevant long-term personality characteristics. It is also important to assess the social context in which the individual operates. The diverse and often conflicting bits of info about the individuals personality traits, behaviour patterns, environmental demands and so on, must then be integrated into a consistent and meaningful picture. This may involve the clients getting an electroencephalogram (eeg) to assess brain wave patterns in awake and sleeping states. An eeg is a graphical record of the brains electrical activity. Significant divergences from the normal pattern can thus reflect abnormalities of brain function such as might be caused by a brain tumour or other lesions.