Psychosocial and holistic approaches to assessment have become a central feature of modern mental health care. This practical and comprehensive book guides students through the theory and practice of psychosocial assessments to help them integrate the data as preparation for the effective planning of treatment and interventions. Key features: step-by-step guide on how to undertake each stage of the assessment process in practice clinical staff and service users voices describing their experiences of the process end of chapter exercises reflections and considerations for practice This is essential reading for pre-registration nursing students and mental health professionals.

Bariatric surgery plays an important role in the treatment of obesity; in this comprehensive resource the worldwide leaders of the field provide the most up-to-date information on the psychosocial issues that affect their patients. Included is an overview and history of surgical procedures, complete with illustrations, practical advice on topics such as physical activity and nutritional care after surgery, and essential information that allows clinicians to assist their clients as much as possible; for example, how pre-weight loss surgery psychosocial evaluations can serve as clinical interventions in their own right, and how structured interviews and questionnaires can be used in multiple contexts such as screening, treatment planning, and prognostic assessment. A distinctive chapter includes an overview of the special issues present in treating adolescents, who increasingly are the target of bariatric surgery procedures. This book is an essential reference for clinicians from the evaluation through the follow-up and aftercare of bariatric surgery patients.

The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) administers two disability programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), for disabled individuals, and their dependent family members, who have worked and contributed to the Social Security trust funds, and Supplemental Security Income (SSSI), which is a means-tested program based on income and financial assets for adults aged 65 years or older and disabled adults and children. Both programs require that claimants have a disability and meet specific medical criteria in order to qualify for benefits. SSA establishes the presence of a medically-determined impairment in individuals with mental disorders other than intellectual disability through the use of standard diagnostic criteria, which include symptoms and signs. These impairments are established largely on reports of signs and symptoms of impairment and functional limitation. Psychological Testing in the Service of Disability Determination considers the use of psychological tests in evaluating disability claims submitted to the SSA. This report critically reviews selected psychological tests, including symptom validity tests, that could contribute to SSA disability determinations. The report discusses the possible uses of such tests and their contribution to disability determinations. Psychological Testing in the Service of Disability Determination discusses testing norms, qualifications for administration of tests, administration of tests, and reporting results. The recommendations of this report will help SSA improve the consistency and accuracy of disability determination in certain cases.

Mental health and substance use disorders affect approximately 20 percent of Americans and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although a wide range of evidence-based psychosocial interventions are currently in use, most consumers of mental health care find it difficult to know whether they are receiving high-quality care. Although the current evidence base for the effects of psychosocial interventions is sizable, subsequent steps in the process of bringing a psychosocial intervention into routine clinical care are less well defined. Psychosocial Interventions for Mental and Substance Use Disorders details the reasons for the gap between what is known to be effective and current practice and offers recommendations for how best to address this gap by applying a framework that can be used to establish standards for psychosocial interventions. The framework described in Psychosocial Interventions for Mental and Substance Use Disorders can be used to chart a path toward the ultimate goal of improving the outcomes. The framework highlights the need to (1) support research to strengthen the evidence base on the efficacy and effectiveness of psychosocial interventions; (2) based on this evidence, identify the key elements that drive an intervention's effect; (3) conduct systematic reviews to inform clinical guidelines that incorporate these key elements; (4) using the findings of these systematic reviews, develop quality measures - measures of the structure, process, and outcomes of interventions; and (5) establish methods for successfully implementing and sustaining these interventions in regular practice including the training of providers of these interventions. The recommendations offered in this report are intended to assist policy makers, health care organizations, and payers that are organizing and overseeing the provision of care for mental health and substance use disorders while navigating a new health care landscape. The recommendations also target providers, professional societies, funding agencies, consumers, and researchers, all of whom have a stake in ensuring that evidence-based, high-quality care is provided to individuals receiving mental health and substance use services.

The field of psychological assessment has been undergoing rapid change. The second edition of this Handbook, published in 1990, appeared at the beginning of a decade marked by extensive advances in assessment in essentially all of its specialized areas. There are many new tests, new applications of established tests, and new test systems. Major revisions have appeared of established tests, notably the Wechsler intelligence scales. The time seemed right for a third edition, since even over the relatively brief period of ten years, many tests described in the second edition have been replaced, and are no longer commonly used. Furthermore, much new research in such areas as neuropsychology, cognitive science, and psychopathology have made major impacts on how many tests and other assessment procedures are used and interpreted. This third edition represents an effort to give the reader an overview of the many new developments in assessment, while still maintaining material on basic psychometric concepts in order for it to continue to serve as a comprehensive handbook for the student and professional.