1|Page
CMN 548 Module 1 study guide Questions
and Verified Answers
GUIDE SADOCK Chapter 7.1 - 7.2, 7.6
Complete the following table which outlines the elements of
the initial psychiatric
interview:
Identifying data Topic
Name, age, sex, marital status, religion, education, address,
phone number, occupation, source of referral
Identifying data Questions
Be direct in obtaining identifying data. Request specific
answers.
Identifying data Comments and helpful hints
If patient cannot cooperate, get information from family
member or friend; if referred by a physician, obtain medical
record.
Chief complaint (CC) topic
Brief statement in patient's own words of why patient is in the
hospital or is being seen in consultation
Chief complaint (CC) questions
,2|Page
Why are you going to see a psychiatrist? What brought you to
the hospital? What seems to be the problem?
Chief complaint (CC) comments and helpful hints
Record answers verbatim; a bizarré complaint points to
psychotic process.
History of present illness (HPI):
Development of symptoms from time of onset to present;
relation of life events, conflicts, stressors: drugs; change from
previous level of functioning
History of present illness (HPI): questions
When did you first notice something happening to you? Were
you upset about anything when symptoms began? Did they
begin suddenly or gradually?
History of present illness (HPI): comments and helpful hints
Record in patient's own words as much as possible. Get history
of previous hospitalizations and treatment. Sudden onset of
symptoms may indicate drug-induced disorder.
Previous psychiatric and medical disorders:
Psychiatric disorders; psychosomatic; medical, neurologic
illnesses (e.g., craniocerebral trauma, convulsions).
Previous psychiatric and medical disorders: QUESTIONS
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Did you ever lose consciousness? Have a seizure?
Previous psychiatric and medical disorders: comments and
helpful hints
Ascertain extent of illness, treatment, medications, outcomes,
hospitals, doctors. Determine whether illness serves some
additional purpose (secondary gain).
substance use/abuse
Substance use disorders can mimic or induce psychiatric
syndromes, elevate risk of suicide and violence, and have
important impact on safe medication prescribing.
Various tools can be used to aid in gathering the substance use
history. Examples include the commonly used CAGE
questionnaire which has been modified to include other drugs
(and now called CAGE-AID)
Past medical history
The interviewer is interested in obtaining an accounting of
major medical disorders both to develop a complete history and
to identify illness that could mimic a psychiatric disorder,
contribute to the context of the presentation or factor into
treatment planning.
Family History (FH): topic
, 4|Page
Psychiatric, medical, and genetic illness in mother, father,
siblings; age of parents and occupations; if deceased, date and
cause; feelings about each family member, finances .
Because many psychiatric illnesses have a genetic
predisposition, if not cause, a careful review of family history is
important to the assessment and can aid in diagnosis and
establishing expected prognosis .
Family History (FH): question
Have any members in your family been depressed? Alcoholic?
In a mental hospital? In jail? Describe your living conditions. Did
you have your own room?
Family History (FH): comments and helpful hints
Genetic loading in anxiety, depression, schizophrenia. Get
medication history of family (medications effective in family
members for similar disorders may be effective in patient).
developmental and social history
The developmental and social history reviews the stages of the
patient's life from gestation to the present with an eye toward
understanding the important exposures, relationships, and
events that shaped the person's life story.
It is often helpful to review the social history chronologically;
CMN 548 Module 1 study guide Questions
and Verified Answers
GUIDE SADOCK Chapter 7.1 - 7.2, 7.6
Complete the following table which outlines the elements of
the initial psychiatric
interview:
Identifying data Topic
Name, age, sex, marital status, religion, education, address,
phone number, occupation, source of referral
Identifying data Questions
Be direct in obtaining identifying data. Request specific
answers.
Identifying data Comments and helpful hints
If patient cannot cooperate, get information from family
member or friend; if referred by a physician, obtain medical
record.
Chief complaint (CC) topic
Brief statement in patient's own words of why patient is in the
hospital or is being seen in consultation
Chief complaint (CC) questions
,2|Page
Why are you going to see a psychiatrist? What brought you to
the hospital? What seems to be the problem?
Chief complaint (CC) comments and helpful hints
Record answers verbatim; a bizarré complaint points to
psychotic process.
History of present illness (HPI):
Development of symptoms from time of onset to present;
relation of life events, conflicts, stressors: drugs; change from
previous level of functioning
History of present illness (HPI): questions
When did you first notice something happening to you? Were
you upset about anything when symptoms began? Did they
begin suddenly or gradually?
History of present illness (HPI): comments and helpful hints
Record in patient's own words as much as possible. Get history
of previous hospitalizations and treatment. Sudden onset of
symptoms may indicate drug-induced disorder.
Previous psychiatric and medical disorders:
Psychiatric disorders; psychosomatic; medical, neurologic
illnesses (e.g., craniocerebral trauma, convulsions).
Previous psychiatric and medical disorders: QUESTIONS
,3|Page
Did you ever lose consciousness? Have a seizure?
Previous psychiatric and medical disorders: comments and
helpful hints
Ascertain extent of illness, treatment, medications, outcomes,
hospitals, doctors. Determine whether illness serves some
additional purpose (secondary gain).
substance use/abuse
Substance use disorders can mimic or induce psychiatric
syndromes, elevate risk of suicide and violence, and have
important impact on safe medication prescribing.
Various tools can be used to aid in gathering the substance use
history. Examples include the commonly used CAGE
questionnaire which has been modified to include other drugs
(and now called CAGE-AID)
Past medical history
The interviewer is interested in obtaining an accounting of
major medical disorders both to develop a complete history and
to identify illness that could mimic a psychiatric disorder,
contribute to the context of the presentation or factor into
treatment planning.
Family History (FH): topic
, 4|Page
Psychiatric, medical, and genetic illness in mother, father,
siblings; age of parents and occupations; if deceased, date and
cause; feelings about each family member, finances .
Because many psychiatric illnesses have a genetic
predisposition, if not cause, a careful review of family history is
important to the assessment and can aid in diagnosis and
establishing expected prognosis .
Family History (FH): question
Have any members in your family been depressed? Alcoholic?
In a mental hospital? In jail? Describe your living conditions. Did
you have your own room?
Family History (FH): comments and helpful hints
Genetic loading in anxiety, depression, schizophrenia. Get
medication history of family (medications effective in family
members for similar disorders may be effective in patient).
developmental and social history
The developmental and social history reviews the stages of the
patient's life from gestation to the present with an eye toward
understanding the important exposures, relationships, and
events that shaped the person's life story.
It is often helpful to review the social history chronologically;
