To prepare for this week's Discussion, review the following videos in addition to this week's assigned Reading.

1. Duran, M. V. (2013). Mental status exam. Retrieved from www.cengage.com/custom/ems/psych/shared/video/player.html?video=mntal_status_exam_16392

2. Duran, M. V. (2013). Clinical assessment. Retrieved from www.cengage.com/custom/ems/psych/shared/video/player.html?video=clncal_assessmnt_16379

Diagnosing Clinical Significance

Proceed with this week's Discussion by searching the Kaplan library or the internet for a screening instrument used in assessing mental health disorders. Select one of the case studies (accessible from the Course Home page)

http://extmedia.kaplan.edu/artsSCi/PS440-1404A/case_studies/ps440_cs03_substance_use_disorder.pdf

and address the following questions and issues about diagnosing mental illness:

1. Explain what the purpose of a clinical assessment is.

2. Identify a commonly used instrument clinicians or psychologists use to screen for the chosen disorder and its purpose (what it screens for).

3. Explain what clinical significance is and one challenge that a clinical professional might have when trying to determine whether a patient's symptoms is clinically significant.

4. Explain why a cause of mental illness may be different from patient-to-patient.

The strongest answer will refer to the textbook and concepts from the Reading material.