Methods of assessment
I would conduct a clinical interview, psychological tests, and behavior observations to assess Jack. Clinical interviews would give me information on his medical history, any recent symptoms, and any changes in his behavior that he has experienced since the event happened. Psychological tests would explain his cognitive, mood state, and personality.
Specific areas of functioning
Some specific questions would be about his mood and how he has been feeling lately. For mental health, examine alterations in sleep, activity level, eating habits, intrusive thoughts, social connections, job performance, and stress (Jack et al., 2023). Do you know anything about his family relationships, and are there any questions I would like to ask them?
Specific question
Were there any cognitive, emotional, social, and occupational changes in his life? Did the diagnosis impact new activities, his support system, or new coping skills in activities of daily living?
Differing assessment approach
If I were counseling Jack as an adolescent, I would focus on developmental concerns, academic achievement, and peer relationships. If I were advising Jack as an older adult, I would concentrate on aging-related concerns such as cognitive decline, physical health, and social support networks.
Assumptions
I would not make any assumptions that something is wrong with Jack, but I would want to examine the possible effects of his concussion on his mental health or functioning. The discrepancy between Jack’s self-report and the concerned family member or friends would cause me to want more information to get a complete picture of the problem.
Next step
The next thing would be to most likely coordinate with the health care team, which could possibly be neurologists, to rule out any long-term physical effects from the concussion. Another thing that should be done here with Jack would be to maintain a relationship with the family and to attempt to contact them frequently to remain consistent with Jack’s care plan.
Reply to Michelle Martin
Michelle, Your thorough examination of Jack is consistent with a holistic, person-centered evaluation approach. Clinical interviews, psychological assessments, and behavioral observations would play a key role in evaluating Jack’s mental health post-head injury. Your approach is holistic by assessing the different functions of Jack’s life, including cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions. It is also important to gain collateral information about Jack’s pre-injury level of functioning by involving family members (Jack et al., 2023). After assessing him, it is important not only to judge how the injury will likely impact Jack but also Your holistic approach is important, given that mental health is not a single-dimensional problem.
Reply to Ashley Lutz
Ashley, Great points about how Jack is evaluating himself. I liked how you emphasized looking at his age and how goals can be influenced by age, such as an adolescent or older adult. You also do a good job of ensuring a thorough evaluation by asking about specific performance areas and asking more pointed questions. I like how you have not assumed anything about Jack being the problem but rather focused on the injury and how that would affect him. Coordinating with the healthcare team and involving family members is important as this is a multidisciplinary issue. At this point, I have already, or will soon, be involving his healthcare team.
References
Jack, Willmott, C., P., J., D., K., M., M., S. P.A. Drummond, Reyes, J., Jennifer Makovec Knight, Peverill, T., Brennan, J. P., & McKay, A. (2023). Moving forward on the road to recovery after concussion: participant experiences of interdisciplinary intervention for persisting post-concussion symptoms. Disability and Rehabilitation, pp. 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2023.2261374
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