Health & Medical Question

Choose one diagnosis from the Anxiety Disorders group

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.

Scan Pages 189-233

Overview

You are tasked with identifying a  standardized assessment instrument/tool to measure the disorders listed  for each week. You will keep these instruments in the form of a  “portfolio” that you can use in your clinical practice to assess clients  who present with a variety of symptoms.

Instructions:

Instrument/ Tool criteria:

Identify an assessment/diagnosis instrument

Appraise a scholarly, peer-reviewed article  that addresses the use of the instrument to support your choice as an  evidence-based instrument for practice.

Evaluate the instrument’s appropriateness for  diagnosing the condition it is designed to assess or if the developers  of the instrument reported that the instrument is only part of a  comprehensive assessment for the disorder.

Describe whether or not the instrument can be  used to measure patient response to therapy/treatment or if it is  strictly for assessment and diagnosis.

Discuss the psychometrics/scoring of the instrument, including reliability and validity.

Discuss any limitations associated with the use of the instrument.

Assessment Instruments
1
Student Example Anxiety and Related Disorders
Week 7
Instrument: Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN)
Article: Psychometric properties of the Social Phobia Inventory
Appropriateness for Dx: This tool is meant for screening of individuals with social phobia and
assignment of a severity score (Connor et al., 2000). The tool was created in congruence with
DSM-4 but is consistent with the DSM-5 diagnosis of social anxiety disorder, minus some minor
changes (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration [SAMHSA], 2016).
Although the study is outdated, Duke University School of Medicine (2020) acknowledges that
the tool is still relevant and utilized by their Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Program.
Response to Therapy/Treatment: The SPIN is appropriate for testing treatment response and
through studies has proven sensitive to symptom changes over time. Changes in scores are able
to determine treatment efficiency (Connor et al., 2000).
Psychometrics: The tool is self-administered and consists of 17 separate statements regarding
problems a patient may exhibit if they have social phobia. The statement is then rated on how
much it has bothered the individual in the last week, from ‘not at all’ (0) to ‘extremely’ (4). Any
score over 21 is considered clinically significant. In the study, the assessment tool was able to
effectively separate individuals with and without social phobia. Validity is strong in regard to
detecting the severity of illness and is sensitive to symptom reductions during treatment. The
scale shows significant correlation with the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale Test, The Brief
Social Phobia Scale and The Fear Questionnaire social phobia subscale (Connor et al., 2000).
Limitations: Limitations exist in the tool’s alignment with DSM-4 instead of the more recent
edition, although differences are very minor (SAMHSA, 2016). With a cutoff score of 19,
sensitivity and specificity were good, but some individuals consider the cutoff score to be 15, in
which these measures are weaker (Connor et al., 2000).
References
Connor, K., Davidson, J., Churchill, E., Sherwood, A., Foa, E., & Wisler, R. (2000).
Psychometric properties of the Social Phobia Inventory. British Journal of Psychiatry,
176, 379-386.
Assessment Instruments
Anxiety and Related Disorders
Week X
DSM:
Instrument:
Article:
Appropriateness for Dx:
Response to Therapy/Treatment:
Psychometrics:
Limitations:
References
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