QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
What is the progression a new patient might encounter at the outset of seeking therapy? How thorough and precise are the testing methodologies for diagnosing a patient's condition?
ANSWER:
1) This totally depends upon the doctor or therapist. Some like to
talk about what's happening in life first, others like to do some diagnostic tests.
Some focus in on just depression first. I do the
screening test
followed by going over DSM criteria, and I also do the Zung depression test.
2) The testing methodologies are very imprecise, and they are not
thorough at all. The DSM IV criteria are excellent for making diagnoses however.
