Current Diagnosis &Treatment: Psychiatry, 3e >Diagnostic Encounter for Children and Adolescents

Michael H. Ebert, James F. Leckman, Ismene L. Petrakis+

Table 5–3Issues Covered During the Child Interview

Content Category Issues Covered

Attendance Reason for and feelings about attendance.

School, class, teacher.

Best and least liked teachers. Reasons?

Best and least liked subjects. Reasons?

School
School grades and homework.

Liking for other school activities. Reasons?

Changes of school? Reasons?

Neighborhood Neighborhood, social groups, clubs.

Hobbies, talents.

Recreation Best liked activity. Reasons?

Sports.

Best friend. Reason best friend is liked?

Social relationships Enemies. Reasons enemies are disliked?

Experiences of persecution or scapegoating.

Opportunities and aspirations for leadership.

Leadership/ambitions
Amibition with regard to occupation, marriage, and family.

Illness Recent illnesses, experiences of hospitalization.

House: layout, yard space, bedroom.

Chores.

Domestic arrangements Parents, siblings, pets.

Family activities most enjoyed.

Relationship between parents, alliances within the family, and conflicts within the family.
 Dreams, good and bad.

Three wishes.

What would the child do with $1,000,000?

Fantasy

Mutual story-telling.

Drawings: of the family doing something together, of a person, of "something nice" and "something
nasty."

Fears, anxiety, obsessions, compulsions, dissociative phenomena, depression, depersonalization.

Symptoms
If indicated, hallucinations, ideas of reference, delusions, concerns about death, suicidal ideation,
difficulty controlling anger, and antisocial behavior.

Understanding of the reason for attendance.

Insight Understanding of the nature of the problem.

Desire for help.

Date of download: 12/26/22 from AccessMedicine: accessmedicine.mhmedical.com, Copyright © McGraw Hill. All rights reserved.