Exam Prep Blog: April 2012

Ah, Personality Disorders. This category of disorders is guaranteed to come up on the exam, both in terms of differential diagnosis and in terms of treatment interventions/approaches. Let's take a look at a sample test item: Sample: A 24 year-old woman presents for an initial appointment wearing what appears to be an afghan and 3-D glasses. She tells the social worker that her mother recommended that she see a therapist for "social issues." With prompting, the woman reports that she does not have any close friends and has never had an intimate relationship. She says, "These glasses give me the

This week, we're taking a look at Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders. It's important that you feel comfortable bringing up the issue of sex with your clients; they may present with feelings of shame, embarrassment, anger or confusion and it's essential that you demonstrate your ability to work with them by introducing sex as an acceptable topic for discussion. Differential diagnosis is one of the most likely forms it will take on the exam. Sample: During an initial appointment, the social worker asks a husband and wife their reasons for seeking treatment. The wife hesitantly tells the social

When a news story focuses on mental illness, it's often Schizophrenia, Major Depressive Disorder or Bipolar Disorder that takes center stage. Recently, however, a news story put a different kind of mental illness in the spotlight, and I have to admit, for me, it's been fascinating to follow. Before I give too much away, here's a sample question that was partially inspired by the recent story involving the high school students in New York. Sample: A 17 year-old girl is admitted to a psychiatric unit after sudden onset of symptoms. According to her assessment, 2 weeks before her admission, she

Hey all, this week we are looking at grief and Bereavement. This topic comes up on the exam in a few ways: differential diagnosis (usually between Bereavement, Adjustment Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder); stages of grief; and the expression of grief throughout the life cycle. Here's a sample question to get us going: Sample A 53 year-old man seeks help from a social worker in private practice. During the assessment, the man reports that his wife of 25 years died a month ago in a car accident. The man tells the social worker that he has been having difficulty sleeping and does not feel