MFT National Exam - Assessment and
Diagnosis-Graded A
Oppositional Defiant Disorder - ANSWER-involves a recurrent pattern of an
angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behavior, or vindictiveness as evidenced by
at least four characteristic symptoms that are exhibited during interactions with at least
one person who is not a sibling -
e.g., often loses temper; often argues with authority figures; often actively refuses to
comply with requests from authority figures or with rules; often blames others for his/her
mistakes.
Symptoms have persisted for at least six months and have caused distress for the
individual or others in his/her immediate social environment.
Separation Anxiety Disorder - ANSWER-involves developmentally inappropriate and
excessive fear or anxiety related to separation from home or attachment figures as
evidenced by at least three symptoms -
1. Recurrent excessive distress when anticipating or experiencing separation from
home or major attachment figures;
2. Persistent excessive fear of being alone;
3. Repeated complaints of physical symptoms when separation from an attachment
figure occurs or is anticipated.
The disturbance must last at least four weeks in children and adolescents or at least six
months in adults and must cause clinically significant distress or impaired functioning.
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) - ANSWER-is an objective
measure of personality for individuals aged 18 and older. It is used to assist with
diagnosis and treatment planning and provides scores on a number of clinical, content,
supplementary, and validity scales.
Mental Status Exam (MSE) - ANSWER-uses observation, questions, and simple tasks
to obtain information on several aspects of a client's current mental state (e.g.,
appearance, thought content, affect) and is useful for determining if a client's symptoms
warrant referral to a physician or psychiatrist.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - ANSWER-For adults, adolescents, and children
older than six years of age, the diagnosis of ______________ requires
, (a) exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence;
(b) presence of at least one intrusion symptom related to the event;
(c) persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the event;
(d) negative changes in cognition or mood associated with the event; and
(e) marked change in arousal and reactivity associated with the event.
For children six years of age or younger, this diagnosis requires
(a) exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence in at least
one of the following ways; or learning that the event occurred to a caregiver:
(b) presence of at least one intrusion symptom related to the event;
(c) persistent avoidance of stimuli related to the event or negative changes in cognitions
and mood related to the event; and
(d) alterations in arousal and reactivity associated with the event.
For individuals of all ages, symptoms must have a duration of more than one month and
must cause clinically significant distress or impaired functioning.
Tourette's Disorder - ANSWER-is characterized by the presence of at least one vocal tic
and multiple motor tics that may appear simultaneously or at different times, that may
wax and wane in frequency but have persisted for more than one year, and that began
prior to age 18.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) - ANSWER-involves excessive anxiety and worry
about multiple events or activities, which are relatively constant for at least six months,
the person finds difficult to control, and cause clinically significant distress or
impairments in functioning. Anxiety and worry must include at least three characteristic
symptoms (or at least one symptom for children) - restlessness or feeling keyed up or
on edge; being easily fatigued; difficulty concentrating; irritability; muscle tension; sleep
disturbance.
Paraphilic Disorders - ANSWER-The Paraphilic Disorders include Voyeuristic,
Exhibitionistic, Frotteuristic, Sexual Sadism, Pedophilic, Fetishistic, and Transvestic
Disorders. These disorders are characterized by an "intense and persistent sexual
interest other than sexual interest in genital stimulation or preparatory fondling with
phenotypically normal, physically mature, consenting human partners ...[that] is
currently causing distress or impairment to the individual or ... has entailed personal
harm, or risk of harm, to others" (APA, 2013, pp. 685-686).
Persistent Depressive Disorder - ANSWER-Persistent Depressive Disorder is
characterized by a depressed mood (or in children and adolescents, a depressed or
irritable mood) on most days for at least two years in adults or at least one year in
children and adolescents as indicated by the presence of at least two characteristic
symptoms - poor appetite or overeating; insomnia or hypersomnia; low energy or
fatigue; low self-esteem; poor concentration or difficulty making decisions; feelings of
hopelessness. During the two- or one-year period, the individual has not been
Diagnosis-Graded A
Oppositional Defiant Disorder - ANSWER-involves a recurrent pattern of an
angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behavior, or vindictiveness as evidenced by
at least four characteristic symptoms that are exhibited during interactions with at least
one person who is not a sibling -
e.g., often loses temper; often argues with authority figures; often actively refuses to
comply with requests from authority figures or with rules; often blames others for his/her
mistakes.
Symptoms have persisted for at least six months and have caused distress for the
individual or others in his/her immediate social environment.
Separation Anxiety Disorder - ANSWER-involves developmentally inappropriate and
excessive fear or anxiety related to separation from home or attachment figures as
evidenced by at least three symptoms -
1. Recurrent excessive distress when anticipating or experiencing separation from
home or major attachment figures;
2. Persistent excessive fear of being alone;
3. Repeated complaints of physical symptoms when separation from an attachment
figure occurs or is anticipated.
The disturbance must last at least four weeks in children and adolescents or at least six
months in adults and must cause clinically significant distress or impaired functioning.
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) - ANSWER-is an objective
measure of personality for individuals aged 18 and older. It is used to assist with
diagnosis and treatment planning and provides scores on a number of clinical, content,
supplementary, and validity scales.
Mental Status Exam (MSE) - ANSWER-uses observation, questions, and simple tasks
to obtain information on several aspects of a client's current mental state (e.g.,
appearance, thought content, affect) and is useful for determining if a client's symptoms
warrant referral to a physician or psychiatrist.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - ANSWER-For adults, adolescents, and children
older than six years of age, the diagnosis of ______________ requires
, (a) exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence;
(b) presence of at least one intrusion symptom related to the event;
(c) persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the event;
(d) negative changes in cognition or mood associated with the event; and
(e) marked change in arousal and reactivity associated with the event.
For children six years of age or younger, this diagnosis requires
(a) exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence in at least
one of the following ways; or learning that the event occurred to a caregiver:
(b) presence of at least one intrusion symptom related to the event;
(c) persistent avoidance of stimuli related to the event or negative changes in cognitions
and mood related to the event; and
(d) alterations in arousal and reactivity associated with the event.
For individuals of all ages, symptoms must have a duration of more than one month and
must cause clinically significant distress or impaired functioning.
Tourette's Disorder - ANSWER-is characterized by the presence of at least one vocal tic
and multiple motor tics that may appear simultaneously or at different times, that may
wax and wane in frequency but have persisted for more than one year, and that began
prior to age 18.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) - ANSWER-involves excessive anxiety and worry
about multiple events or activities, which are relatively constant for at least six months,
the person finds difficult to control, and cause clinically significant distress or
impairments in functioning. Anxiety and worry must include at least three characteristic
symptoms (or at least one symptom for children) - restlessness or feeling keyed up or
on edge; being easily fatigued; difficulty concentrating; irritability; muscle tension; sleep
disturbance.
Paraphilic Disorders - ANSWER-The Paraphilic Disorders include Voyeuristic,
Exhibitionistic, Frotteuristic, Sexual Sadism, Pedophilic, Fetishistic, and Transvestic
Disorders. These disorders are characterized by an "intense and persistent sexual
interest other than sexual interest in genital stimulation or preparatory fondling with
phenotypically normal, physically mature, consenting human partners ...[that] is
currently causing distress or impairment to the individual or ... has entailed personal
harm, or risk of harm, to others" (APA, 2013, pp. 685-686).
Persistent Depressive Disorder - ANSWER-Persistent Depressive Disorder is
characterized by a depressed mood (or in children and adolescents, a depressed or
irritable mood) on most days for at least two years in adults or at least one year in
children and adolescents as indicated by the presence of at least two characteristic
symptoms - poor appetite or overeating; insomnia or hypersomnia; low energy or
fatigue; low self-esteem; poor concentration or difficulty making decisions; feelings of
hopelessness. During the two- or one-year period, the individual has not been
