Diagnosis on the Social Work Licensing Exam (Continued)

(image courtesy of OpenClips)

It can be overwhelming to try to figure out what you should study and how to remember everything that is related to diagnosing. However, you can be prepared. 

Social Work Test Prep recommends paying particular attention to the more common diagnoses such as “depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, ADHD, [and] personality disorders.” They also recommend familiarizing yourself with diagnoses that are somewhat similar in certain ways such as schizoaffective disorder versus schizophrenia.

Here is a great link for learning more about all the diagnoses on the DSM-IV: http://allpsych.com/disorders/dsm.html

Even though there won’t be DSM-5 material on the exam until July, 2015, if you are curious about the changes that have been made on the DSM-5, here is a link that provides you with some quick information.

SOME QUICK TIPS:

·         Adjustment Disorders: significant difficulty adjusting to a life situation compared to what would normally be expected considering the circumstances.

·         Anxiety Disorders: anxiety symptoms (heart races, tension, breathing more heavily) that occur without any recognizable stimulus or when the stimulus does not fit with the reaction

·         Mood Disorders: inappropriate, exaggerated, or limited range of feelings

o   Disorders in this category include: Bipolar Disorder, Cyclothymic Disorder, Dysthymic Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder