Clinical Interview:
A clinical interview is a dialogue between psychologist and patient that is
designed to help the psychologist diagnose and plan treatment for the patient. It
is often called 'a conversation with a purpose.
General characteristic on interview:
The interaction
Introduce yourself and make an assessment of any problem.
Talk about what the session will involve.
Obtained informed consent.
Get understanding about issue and problems.
Types of clinical interview:
Intake interview
Case history interview
Diagnostic interview
Informant interview
Intake interview:
Intake interviews are the most common type of interview in clinical
psychology.
They occur when a client first comes to seek help from a clinician.
The intake interview is important in clinical psychology because it is the
first interaction that occurs between the client and the clinician. The
clinician may explain to the client what to expect during the interview,
including the time duration.
Purpose of intake interview:
Establishing and diagnosing any problems the client may have.
Intake interviews include a mental status examination.
The clinician may determine a treatment plan.
Particular clinician may feel that he or she lacks the expertise to best help
the client. It is during the intake interview that the clinician should refer
the client to another source.
Case history interview:
Reason for coming.
Present situation.
Family history,
Early recollection.
Birth and development.
Health and physical condition.
Education history.
Interest and pleasure.
Sexual development.
Marital history.
Social history.
Self-Description.
Personal goals and view of future.
Diagnostic Interviewing:
Structured and semi-structured diagnostic interviews consist of a
systematic series of specific questions to evaluate clients’ diagnosis-
related behavior patterns, thoughts, and feelings.
Diagnostic interviews can be administered by counselors, social workers,
psychologists, physicians, or technicians with specific training in
administering a particular diagnostic interview.
1. Technicians can ask clients specific diagnostic-relevant questions.
2. Diagnostic interview schedules generally produce a DSM-V diagnosis,
consequently relieving clinicians of subjectively weighing many
alternative diagnoses.
3. Diagnostic interviews are well-suited for scientific research.
4. Diagnostic interview schedules generally exhibit greater inter-rater
reliability
1. Many diagnostic interviews require considerable time for
administration.
2. Diagnostic interviews do not allow experienced diagnosticians to take
shortcuts.
3. Some clinicians complain that diagnostic interviews are too structured
and rigid, deemphasizing rapport-building and basic interpersonal
communication between client and therapist
Interview with informants:
An informant is someone who can report on a case without
causing observer effect. For example, informants may be family
members or friends of a psychiatric patient. Informants are particularly
important when the patient's lucidity is questionable; for example, in
cases of dementia, or when the patient is a child
Use of collateral sources in obtaining history:
Collateral information is particularly important when patients have
impaired insight
Important for treatment planning when patients require a high level of
assistance
Family members and others who know the patient well may provide
important information about the patient’s personality before the onset of
illness
Reliability and credibility of history:
The credibility of the informant is also important while taking the history
from him or her. Information available is called reliable when it’s
continuous, consistent and corroborative.
Advantages:
Opportunity to establish rapport
Can provided in-depth information about causes of the problem.
Allow you to clarify ideas and information on continual basis.
Can easily be combined with other techniques.
May avoid high cost of printing, mailing and data analysis.
Can be used with all age group, including elderly and children.
Disadvantages:
Other community members who are not being used as key informant may
become jealous and resent being left out.
Your relationship with the informant may influence the information you
get.
Informant may give you their own impressions and biases
