Behavioral interviews

Barclay, J. M. (2001). Improving selection interviews with structure Organisations use of behavioral interviews. Personnel Review, 30(1-2), 81-101. 

The initial assessments of the outpatient are basically the same as those for the hospitalized patient. The nurse obtains a complete medical histoiy and a histoiy of the symptoms of the mental disorder from the patient, a family member, or the patient s hospital records. During the initial interview, the nurse observes the patient for what appear to be deviations from a normal behavior pattern. The nurse also should assess the patient s vital signs and body weight. 

Given that cognitive and behavioral disturbances are commonly associated with inhalant use disorders, diagnostic assessment of individuals with such disorders is probably best done by using a standardized interview schedule, such as the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDl) (Robins et... 

Children Pain interviews may be conducted with children as young as 3 or 4 years of age however, communication may be limited by vocabulary.34 Terms familiar to children such as hurt, owie, or boo boo may be used to describe pain. The VAS is best used with children older than 7 years of age. Other scales based on numbers of objects (e.g., poker chips), increasing color intensity, or faces of pain may be helpful for children between 4 and 7 years of age. In children younger than 3 to 4 years of age, behavioral or physiologic measures, such as pulse or respiratory rate, may be more appropriate. Pain assessment in newborns and infants relies on behavioral observation for such clues as vocalizations (crying and fussing), facial expressions,... 

Baseline assessment should define therapeutic goals and document cognitive status, physical status, functional performance, mood, thought processes, and behavior. Both the patient and caregiver should be interviewed. 

In the second study, Ruscio, Ruscio, and Keane (2002) examined the taxonicity of PTSD in a large sample of male combat veterans (N = 1,230), who were seen at the Behavioral Sciences Division of the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System s National Center for posttraumatic stress disorder between 1985 and 2000. All the participants completed the Mississippi scale (Keane, Caddell,. Taylor, 1988), a 35-item measure of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms rated on a five-point scale a subset of this sample (n = 841) was assessed with the Clinician Administered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Scale (CAPS), an interview measure of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms that a clinician rates on a five-point scale. According to the CAPS, 68% of the sample qualified for a posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis. 

Remember that it is important to assess for suicidality when working with any client with a history of suicidal and parasuicidal behavior. Not only ideations should be assessed, but also plans, lethality of plans, means to carry out those plans, and proximity of means. You would surprised at how often such clients carry lethal doses of pills, razor blades, or even guns in their purses, pockets, or backpacks during such an assessment interview with intentions to use these items. (Please see the extended discussion about suicide assessment in Chapter 3.)... 

As mentioned, motivational interviewing is only one option for increasing motivation in clients. There are ways to motivate some clients through assessment and feedback about the assessment, as well as using previously mentioned cognitive and behavioral strategies. In addition, other therapies that have not been mentioned here have been developed to increase clients motivation, so you may wish to browse the research literature if you are interested in learning about other options. 

Third, the center determines during the screening process whether the client is a threat to self or others. Suicidal behavior should be routinely assessed in a screening interview. Some care facilities do not have the resources to treat an actively suicidal client, so if the person expresses suicidal ideations and plans, then a referral may be made elsewhere. The treatment center also wants to protect clients and staff from someone who is extremely aggressive and hostile and may represent a threat to the safety of people in the unit. In some cases, treatment facilities may refer such people elsewhere if the threat cannot be adequately contained within that facility. 

Besides the intake interview, which can help gather information, there are a number of assessment measures for determining the quality of an important interpersonal relationship. The questions on these measures generally ask about things like communication styles, satisfaction in the relationship, joint decision making, and in some cases, abusive behavior. Two of the most well-known measures are the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (Spanier, 1976) and the Marital Satisfaction Inventory (Snyder, 1979). Therapists and counselors also may choose to interview couples together (with the consent of client and partner), and some therapists may recommend couples therapy (see Chapter 5) as part of the overall approach to treatment if deemed appropriate to help the client. Relationship assessments can yield important information that may be useful when working with couples. 

Miller, W. R. (1996). Form 90 A structured interview for drinking and related behaviors. In M. E. Mattson (Ed.), Project MATCH Monograph Series, 5. Bethesda, MD National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 

In this interview Katy shares her view that chemical exposures can lead to an inability to tolerate stress, to loss of mental functioning, to fear and to violence. Since I met with her, two studies have been published that validate her remarks. One, a University of Wis-consin-Madison study published in the journal Toxicology and Industrial Health, January-March 1999, found that the pesticide-fertilizer mixtures commonly found in groundwater can affect patterns of aggression and the ability to learn, and causes hormone disruptions that increase sensitivity to stimuli, irritability and immune dysfunction. A University of Arizona study published by Environmental Health Perspectives in June 1998 showed a decrease in mental ability and an increase in aggressive behavior among children exposed to pesticides. 

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