Interviewing Skills

1. Interviewing Skills Interviewing Skills

2. Format of Role Play • 30 to 40 minute interview • Interviewer • Initiates questioning • Collects information through semi-structured questions and prompts for more information • Terminates session • Interviewee • Provides information on questions posed • Determines pace of interview • Prepares for background information • Role of interviewer or interviewee will be chosen randomly. Interviewing Skills

3. Grading • On thoroughness of preparation • On flexibility • On rapport – connection to interviewee • On notes used to prepare for the session (please make a photocopy of either your typed or clearly handwritten notes) • Performance: 15%, Notes: 5% (a transcript will not be required) • You will not be graded on your acting ability, ability to shock, or humour Interviewing Skills

4. Recommended Chapter • Photocopy of chapter 2 from Hersen, M., & Van Hesselt, V. B. (Eds.). (1998). Basic Interviewing: A Practical Guide for Counselors and Clinicians. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Reserves Desk: RC 480.7 B37 1998 • Use as a guideline for asking questions, generating prompts, and dealing with silences. Interviewing Skills

5. Role of interview • First step in getting to know a client • May lead to further assessment or treatment • assume that it will be a treatment relationship • A way to establish rapport • A chance to explain further sessions (not necessary for the assignment) Interviewing Skills

6. Diagnostic Interview • Presenting problem • Symptoms • Associated (neuropsychological) deficits • Background history Interviewing Skills

7. Client characteristics • For the assignment, assume the client is: • Nonviolent • Moderately to fluently verbal • Compliant • Hoping for further help (may or may not be self- referred) Interviewing Skills

8. Client Variables • Clients can vary in: • Education • Insight into problem • Opportunity to access services (income, living situation) • Referral source (self, doctor, parent, child, spouse) Interviewing Skills

9. Client Variables • Assume this is the clients first visit to a practitioner for their presenting problem • They should not be assumed to know their diagnosis (in reality, they probably won’t) • Can start with a vague complaint if you like and the interviewer can push with questions – e.g. I feel nervous, I can’t concentrate Interviewing Skills

10. Interviewee • Sources to use for preparation of simulation: • DSM – don’t choose every single one of the criteria (pick and choose, but make sure to include defining criteria) • Internet – case studies, basic articles • Personal contacts • Texts for case studies, presenting symptoms Interviewing Skills

11. Structure of Interview • Greeting and making client comfortable (small talk okay) • Opening question – from chapter, examples • Ignore section in chapter on Ground Rules (we are not doing therapy after the interview) • Assessing the presenting problem – how? Interviewing Skills

12. Structure of Interview • No note taking necessary for simulation (unless you want to follow up on a particular point – brief note) • Assessment of clients’ understanding of problem – how? Interviewing Skills

13. Structure of Interview • Explain the purpose • Questions to ask – see later slides • Determine if the client has further questions • Termination of interview – how? Interviewing Skills

14. Pointers for the Interviewer • Sensitivity – knowing when to push for more information and when not to • Silence is okay • Confidentiality • explain limits (suicide/ homicide – duty to report) • should be mentioned a few minutes in, not at end. Interviewing Skills

15. Pointers for the Interviewer • Be curious – don’t be afraid to ask difficult questions when called for • Be aware of cultural differences • Prompting is good if you need more information • Tell me more about that • Give me an example of that • Others? Interviewing Skills

16. Sensitive Information • How to ask difficult questions about: • Sexual history • Abuse • Drug use or abuse • If clients don’t volunteer information, don’t ask flat out. • Some things may come out in further sessions (for the assignment, how can you ask these questions?) Interviewing Skills

17. General Questions Both the interviewer and interviewee should minimally prepare for the following questions: • To what extent are symptoms triggered by the environment, rooted in history, or related to physiology (nurture and nature)? • Does the client gain from their symptoms? • What coping skills does the client have? Interviewing Skills

18. General Questions • To what extent are symptoms triggered by the environment, rooted in history, or related to physiology (nurture and nature)? • Does the client gain from their symptoms? • What coping skills does the client have? Interviewing Skills

19. How and what do we ask about: • Psychiatric History • Medications • Medical History • Developmental History • Family history • Recreational History • Relationships – significant others, friends • Educational and work history • Sexual history (if relevant) Interviewing Skills

20. Information: Duty to report • Abuse History (if part of case) • History of suicide or homicide (if necessary) Interviewing Skills

21. Ending the interview • Approaches to ending? Interviewing Skills

22. Guidelines • Interviewer • Be prepared to ask questions in any of these domains • Be flexible – you will not know what the client is preparing (naturalistic interview) • Don’t overscript your questions • At end, you will be asked to guess what the diagnosis is (you won’t be graded, so it is okay to be wrong) Interviewing Skills

23. Guidelines • Interviewee • Research the disorder and decide what presenting problems you will show • Prepare some information in relevant questioning domains but not necessarily all of them • Assume you don’t meet criteria for comorbid problems (don’t make the case too complex) Interviewing Skills