ADVANCED ASSESSMENT INTERPRETING
FINDINGS AND FORMULATING DIFFERENTIAL
DIAGNOSES EXAM PREPARATION PACK 2026
KEY CONCEPTS AND REVISION NOTES
◉ negative formal thought disorder.
Answer: poverty of speech, negative symptom
◉ poverty of content.
Answer: fluent speech but no content, convey little info
◉ positive vs. negative symptoms.
Answer: positive= symptom is occuring, negative- lack of symptoms
◉ delusion.
Answer: abnormal thoughts, positive symptom, false beliefs can't be
rationalized with facts or evidence, long term
◉ provisional diagnosis.
Answer: strong belief individual will meet all the criteria for a
disorder but not currently met. usually due to time frame
,◉ differential diagnosis.
Answer: following MSE choose appropriate diagnosis take into
account psychological, biological and sociocultural factors. consider
all possible diagnoses weigh pros and cons and then distinguish
between specific disorders from other similar diagnoses. use
exclusion criteria. example mental disorder or substance induced
disorder. same symptoms experienced are the same in a more
pervasive disorder and a less pervasive disorder only the more
pervasive disorder is diagnosed. diagnostic classes in DSM are listed
in order of their priority in differential diagnosis
◉ adaptive ability.
Answer: skills needed to function and meet external demands
◉ alogia.
Answer: impoverished thinking, often associated with poverty of
thought or negative formal thought disorder
◉ poverty of speech.
Answer: brief concrete answers not fluent
◉ preservation.
Answer: speech pattern words are repeated over and over again
,◉ apathy/avolition.
Answer: lack of drive or energy
◉ anhedonia.
Answer: lack of pleasure or interest
◉ symptoms of psychosis (depression).
Answer: apathy, anhedonia, alogia, blunting of affect
◉ 4 types of delusions.
Answer: persecution- paranoid , jealous-delusion disorder (believe
their in a relationship with celeb), grandiosity- borderline, bipolar,
inflated sense of self, special powers, somatization- belief that the
body is diseased, reference- believe what is going on around you is
about you (people are talking about you, mind control/reading)
◉ bipolar I.
Answer: axis 1, neurodevelopment disorder disorder, 2 types-
bipolar 1 more severe mood episodes from depression to manic
episodes, common to have delusions when manic (grandiosity).
dramatic shift in moods. dangerous- very poor judgement, highly
impulsive, high risk behavior, high suicide
, ◉ hallucinations and illusions.
Answer: abnormal perceptions, response in absence of external
stimuli, vs. illusions misinterpretation of external stimuli, experience
through all 5 senses
◉ delusion disorder.
Answer: completely normal functioning except for one delusion
(psychosis)
◉ command hallucinations.
Answer: voices tell you what to do
◉ obsessions.
Answer: compulsive intrusive thoughts cause anxiety
◉ compulsions.
Answer: specific actions taken, inappropriate and senseless. tension
builds, the action magically releases tension, usually related to guilt.
if you don't do act something bad will happen
◉ catatonic 5 types.
Answer: disturbance in motor behavior related to schizophrenia.
stupor- lack of awareness or reaction to ones environment, rigidity-
resistance to passive movement, wavy flexibility-catalepsy,
FINDINGS AND FORMULATING DIFFERENTIAL
DIAGNOSES EXAM PREPARATION PACK 2026
KEY CONCEPTS AND REVISION NOTES
◉ negative formal thought disorder.
Answer: poverty of speech, negative symptom
◉ poverty of content.
Answer: fluent speech but no content, convey little info
◉ positive vs. negative symptoms.
Answer: positive= symptom is occuring, negative- lack of symptoms
◉ delusion.
Answer: abnormal thoughts, positive symptom, false beliefs can't be
rationalized with facts or evidence, long term
◉ provisional diagnosis.
Answer: strong belief individual will meet all the criteria for a
disorder but not currently met. usually due to time frame
,◉ differential diagnosis.
Answer: following MSE choose appropriate diagnosis take into
account psychological, biological and sociocultural factors. consider
all possible diagnoses weigh pros and cons and then distinguish
between specific disorders from other similar diagnoses. use
exclusion criteria. example mental disorder or substance induced
disorder. same symptoms experienced are the same in a more
pervasive disorder and a less pervasive disorder only the more
pervasive disorder is diagnosed. diagnostic classes in DSM are listed
in order of their priority in differential diagnosis
◉ adaptive ability.
Answer: skills needed to function and meet external demands
◉ alogia.
Answer: impoverished thinking, often associated with poverty of
thought or negative formal thought disorder
◉ poverty of speech.
Answer: brief concrete answers not fluent
◉ preservation.
Answer: speech pattern words are repeated over and over again
,◉ apathy/avolition.
Answer: lack of drive or energy
◉ anhedonia.
Answer: lack of pleasure or interest
◉ symptoms of psychosis (depression).
Answer: apathy, anhedonia, alogia, blunting of affect
◉ 4 types of delusions.
Answer: persecution- paranoid , jealous-delusion disorder (believe
their in a relationship with celeb), grandiosity- borderline, bipolar,
inflated sense of self, special powers, somatization- belief that the
body is diseased, reference- believe what is going on around you is
about you (people are talking about you, mind control/reading)
◉ bipolar I.
Answer: axis 1, neurodevelopment disorder disorder, 2 types-
bipolar 1 more severe mood episodes from depression to manic
episodes, common to have delusions when manic (grandiosity).
dramatic shift in moods. dangerous- very poor judgement, highly
impulsive, high risk behavior, high suicide
, ◉ hallucinations and illusions.
Answer: abnormal perceptions, response in absence of external
stimuli, vs. illusions misinterpretation of external stimuli, experience
through all 5 senses
◉ delusion disorder.
Answer: completely normal functioning except for one delusion
(psychosis)
◉ command hallucinations.
Answer: voices tell you what to do
◉ obsessions.
Answer: compulsive intrusive thoughts cause anxiety
◉ compulsions.
Answer: specific actions taken, inappropriate and senseless. tension
builds, the action magically releases tension, usually related to guilt.
if you don't do act something bad will happen
◉ catatonic 5 types.
Answer: disturbance in motor behavior related to schizophrenia.
stupor- lack of awareness or reaction to ones environment, rigidity-
resistance to passive movement, wavy flexibility-catalepsy,
