Question 1

Community psychology uses organized community programs to support the prevention and treatment of mental disorders. Prevention is divided into three levels, primary, secondary, and tertiary. Which of the following is an example of tertiary prevention?

Accepted Answer

Tertiary prevention focuses on reducing the effects of an already-present disorder or disability. Drug and alcohol treatment and recovery programs like twelve-step programs help those with existing substance addiction to minimize further negative effects.

Question 2

Meta-analysis is used to study outcomes of psychotherapy and evaluate effectiveness. What were the findings of a 1978 study of psychotherapy outcomes?

Accepted Answer

Bergin and Lambert, in their 1978 study, concluded that spontaneous improvement rate is close to 40%. More recent analysis has found similar rates of spontaneous improvement for various disorders.

Question 3

Benzodiazepines are typically used to treat anxiety disorders or sleep problems. They are considered anxiolytics when used to treat anxiety. Which of the following anxiolytics is NOT a benzodiazepine?

Accepted Answer

Buspirone, brand name Buspar, is not a benzodiazepine. It does not cause many of the side effects that benzodiazepines do and has low potential for dependence.

Question 4

Approximately what percentage of children and adolescents in the United States today meet the diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder?

Accepted Answer

Between 10% and 20% of children and adolescents in the United States today meet the diagnostic DSM-TR criteria for one or more mental disorders. This is a staggering 15 million children. Many more children are at risk for developing mental illness in the future.

Question 5

What are the guidelines concerning the authorization of a licensed clinical psychologist who is not an MD to prescribe medication for patients?

Accepted Answer

Some states, but not all, may permit licensed clinical psychologists to prescribe medication for their patients, but only after they first complete a special course of study on psychopharmacology. Since many patients can benefit from a combination of both psychotherapy and medication, allowing the same person to administer both, provided he or she is fully qualified, makes sense.

Question 6

Once a child is determined eligible to receive special education and related services, how soon must an Individualized Education Program (IEP) be prepared?

Accepted Answer

The IEP team meets to prepare the child's IEP within 30 days of finding the child eligible for services. The parents, regular education teachers, special education teachers, other school and district professionals, and sometimes the student, all participate.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of a supplementary service or aid that may be provided to children with disabilities in addition to special education itself, and what falls into the category of special education related services?

Accepted Answer

An example of a supplementary service sometimes provided to special education students is assistive technology. For example, some children, because of the nature of their disability, might need a special type of computer. Psychological, counseling, and social services, speech therapy, and school transportation all fall into the category of special education related services.

Question 8

Which of the following is not a parental right with regard to Individualized Education Programs?

Accepted Answer

Parents have many rights with regard to the carefully designed process of determining what kinds of special education services, if any, are appropriate for a child. However, insisting that special services be provided after both the Committee on Special Education and an Impartial Hearing Officer (who can be requested by either the parent or school district if they disagree with the initial determination) is not one of them. The decision of the Impartial Hearing Officer is binding.

Question 9

Why is traditional psychoanalysis impractical today in treating most patients- both adults and children?

Accepted Answer

Traditional psychoanalysis has been widely criticized for many reasons, but the one factor that, more than anything else, makes it too impractical for most people seeking therapy is the length of treatment and prohibitive cost. In today's busy world, people don't have the time or money to spend years in therapy; they want to see results quickly.

Question 10

Play therapy is a technique used for treating children displaying many different kinds of maladaptive behavior patterns. What makes play therapy an effective approach with such a wide variety of children?

Accepted Answer

Play therapy enables children to express what is troubling them when they cannot readily do so in words. The method is especially useful for children, ages 3-12, although teenagers can also benefit from play therapy.

Question 11

What is the distinct defining characteristic of the innovative approach to child and adolescent psychotherapy known as Evidence-Based Practice?

Accepted Answer

Evidence-Based Practice is based on the premise that we should utilize the information from both research and clinical practice to help develop appropriate therapy strategies. In order for a given treatment to be considered evidence-based, the study designed to show evidence of the effectiveness of treatment must use a treatment manual. The study must also show that the treatment group had better outcomes than a non-treatment control group.

Question 12

The therapy method known as cognitive behavior theory (CBT) has been shown to be particularly effective with children and adolescents diagnosed with what condition?

Accepted Answer

The therapy method known as CBT has been shown to be particularly effective in the treatment of childhood depression. The method seems to work by teaching children and adolescents to change their thoughts and behaviors and, in the process, also change how they feel.

Question 13

Research studies show that Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), a promising technique in the treatment of aggressive behavior in children, is not as effective in treating what segment of the population?

Accepted Answer

Studies show that CBT is less effective in treating Afro-American boys from low-income households than boys and girls from other family backgrounds. Parents in lower income Afro-American families tend to promote the use of physical aggression problem solving techniques. They do this through greater reliance on corporal punishment, as well as teaching their children to retaliate in response to verbal or physical aggression in others. Confrontations with aggressive peers further reinforce aggressive behavior in these children, in direct contrast to the CBT approach of relaxing and trying to use verbal negotiation.

Question 14

14-year-old Tiffany has been receiving weekly outpatient therapy for depression for several months. During the last two visits, the therapist noted that Tiffany, besides appearing more despondent, displayed a few instances of suicidal ideation that previously had not been present. Tiffany denied having any concrete plan, however. The psychologist contacted the mother, who didn't seem particularly concerned. "Tiffany talks like that all the time," she said. How should the psychologist proceed with this patient?

Accepted Answer

It would be helpful to involve the mother in Tiffany's therapy, especially because she seems to be in denial. Since Tiffany is only making vague references to suicide and has not formulated a plan to carry it out, she is probably not at immediate risk, so hospitalization is unnecessary. However, verifying this with a test, besides being anxiety-provoking, probably would not reveal any information the psychologist doesn't already have. Changing therapists is inadvisable because that would create more stress.

Question 15

Most children diagnosed with ADHD display which constellation of symptoms?

Accepted Answer

Most children diagnosed with ADHD display a combination of both hyperactive-impulsive and attention deficit symptoms. However, both types of behavior also occur in children who don't have ADHD, so misdiagnosis is common.

Question 16

Is it easy or difficult for parents to diagnose probable ADHD, and why?

Accepted Answer

Both the attention deficit and the hyperactivity in ADHD are often mistaken for other problems. The frequent failure of both parents and teachers to correctly identify the condition in a timely manner not only delays correct diagnosis but effective treatment.

Question 17

When children with ADHD are brought to clinical psychologists for treatment, what is the main focus on primarily?

Accepted Answer

When children with ADHD are referred to a clinical psychologist for possible therapy, the primary focus is on seeing what can be done to alleviate the child's symptoms. There is no known short-term therapy that permanently cures ADHD. But the psychologist can offer behavior therapy and counseling, and the medical doctor can prescribe medication to make the condition more manageable.

Question 18

Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy is a form of cognitive behavior therapy used primarily in treating children with what mental disorder?

Accepted Answer

Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy is a type of cognitive behavior therapy that is very helpful in the treatment of children with Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD). The children learn to face their fears step by step so they will be able to do the opposite of what their OCD tells them to do and see that nothing bad happens to them.

Question 19

Computer-assisted cognitive behavior therapy such as Camp Cope-A-Lot and BRAVE-ONLINE are a particularly promising mode of treatment for children diagnosed with what type of mental illness?

Accepted Answer

Computer-assisted cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) has recently emerged as a particularly promising mode of treatment for children with anxiety disorders. The distinctive feature of these treatments is that participants have little or no face-to-face contact with the therapist. Both younger children and adolescents with anxiety disorders have reportedly benefited from the therapy.

Question 20

Which of the following statements regarding the treatment of childhood schizophrenia is not true?

Accepted Answer

The statement that most schizophrenic children need long term hospitalization may have been true once, but not today. Great strides have made not only in understanding the etiology of the disorder but also in treating it. With a combination of prescribed medication, individual and family psychotherapy, and an IEP tailored to the child's level of functioning and special needs, many schizophrenic children can remain at home and attend school and, as adults, get and hold a job.

Quiz 6: Intervention