Psychological assessment and diagnostic interpretation of an adolescent case

Interpreting Data

Answers to Follow-up Questions

Question 1: Which of the content scales are considered very elevated?

The content scales considered very elevated are: emotional distress, upsetting thoughts, academic difficulties, language, social problems, and physical symptoms.

Question 2: Which of the content scales are considered clinically significant but not very elevated?

The content scales considered clinically significant but not very elevated are: social anxiety, perfectionistic/compulsive behaviors, and violence potential.

Question 3: What settings do these symptoms appear to occur in?

The presented symptoms appear to occur in academic and social settings

Question 4: Using the very elevated interpretation, what are some possible diagnoses for this individual?

On the basis of the very elevated interpretation above, this particular individual could be suffering from attention-deficit/hyperactivity-impulsive, generalized anxiety disorder, or social anxiety. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity-impulsive, in essence, “is most commonly characterized by persistent and chronic inattention and/or excessive motor restlessness and impulsive behavior” (Craighead and Nemeroff, 2004, p. 11). In most cases, it presents through difficulties in completing tasks or understanding and persons suffering from the same often have behavioral issues in school.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), in the words of Stevens (2008), is “a chronic anxiety condition characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry and associated somatic symptoms” (p. 1). Anxiety, in this case, is devoid of a clear target. Individuals suffering from GAD may find it hard to focus or concentrate on some tasks or undertakings, such as study or classwork. Lastly, we have social anxiety, in which case individuals suffering from the same became uncomfortable in social situations and are unable to effectively interact with other people. Such individuals often fear that they will be judged harshly by bystanders (Craighead and Nemeroff, 2004).

Question 5: Based on this very limited data, what are two plausible explanations for why this individual might be having such a difficult year?