Presenter(s): Megan Olivera
Faculty Mentor(s): Lynette Danley
Oral Session 2 SW
The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review of current psychological assessments used primary in the United States intended to address mental illness symptomology or bring about a mental illness diagnosis for patients. Measures included in this study to assess mental illness symptomology or bring about a mental illness diagnosis by clinicians include the Mood Disorder Scale (MDQ), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Hamiliton Depression Rating Scale(HAM-D), Hamiliton Anxiety Scale( HAM-A), and the Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale(BSDA). This review will have specific attention paid to language used in addressing mental disorders or symptomatology, the structure of said assessments and research, and their design. Effectiveness levels, potential harms, and benefits of the most common mental illness assessments commonly used will be discussed and explored in regard to the language used on said assessments. Implications of these findings will provide evidence for where current assessments used by mental health experts may be lacking in. This information will be useful to not only professionals wanting to reinvent how we screen for mental illness, but also informative for individuals who likely will at some point come across one of these assessments.