The First Interview: A Guide for Clinicians

by James R. Morrison

This accessible text demonstrates in step-by-step detail how to conduct a successful mental health diagnostic interview. Keyed to DSM criteria and covering the range of problems and personalities that interviewers typically encounter, it describes how best to elicit critical diagnostic details from even the most challenging patient. Readers will learn how to give free rein to the informative patient, guide the rambling one, encourage the silent patient, and mollify the hostile one. Based on recent research into effective interviewing techniques, The First Interview specifies what should be asked as well as the best methods for asking. Written in a conversational, jargon-free style, this book features numerous illustrative clinical vignettes that bring these effective techniques to life.
For each stage of any first interview, the author shows how to derive maximum information while establishing and maintaining trust and rapport. Sample beginnings model nondirective openings that immediately engage patients and elicit their chief complaints. For the body of the interview, techniques are suggested to draw out feelings and determine symptoms, family background, mental status, personal strengths, and vulnerabilities such as a history of violence or childhood abuse. Other chapters address the management of difficult patients and consultation with relatives and other informants. Throughout, clinicians are advised on how to communicate effectively, using both verbal and nonverbal techniques.
Final chapters focus on reporting the clinician's findings and recommendations to patients and their families in such a way as to provide information, security, and hope. Clearly stated principles will help trainees of all mental health professions evaluate the material they have obtained and communicate diagnosis and plans for management to other health care professionals. Practical appendices include a sample interview and written report, the latest DSM diagnoses in abbreviated form for easy reference, standards for scoring the initial interview, and a list of recommended readings.
Filled with case examples, The First Interview is an excellent introductory text for students in psychology, psychiatry, social work, pastoral counseling, medicine, and nursing. For the seasoned clinician, it offers a refresher course and new approaches to the difficult patient.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Counselling, Social Work, School, Grad School, Mental Health

317 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Kurtlu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Psikoloji öğrencileri ve mesleğe yeni başlayanlar için iyi bir rehber olduğunu düşünüyorum. Yazar akademik değil de samimi bir dil kullandığından, keyifli ve motive edici bir okuma vaat ediyor. Terapötik ilişkinin kurulmasına yardımcı olacak, ince detayları atlamayan bir kitap.

[Kasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dużo banałów typu: “W depresji występuje nastrój depresyjny.”, które wynikają z przerostu formy nad treścią i wielkiej potrzeby Morrisona do usystematyzowania wszystkiego. Trochę bardziej medyczna niż psychologiczna, ale każdemu może pomóc w nauce przeprowadzania wywiadu diagnostycznego. Bez porządnego czytania każdej strony, tylko z przejrzeniem większości i skupieniem się na elementach, z którymi ma się kłopot przynosi najwięcej pożytku.

[✧*̥˚ alex *̥˚✧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Ahmed Shadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read book for any mental health practitioner especially psychiatry residents. It changed my approach towards many interactions I didn't know that there was a better way to deal with them. I highly recommend it to any mental health practitioner.

[Caitlin]

informative. will use this information in my future job. 👍🏻

[Wiktoria Wróblewska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morrisonie, zostaniesz w moim sercu i mózgu do mojej śmierci (nawet jeśli będę mieć demencję). Czasami tylko irytowało mnie, jak się powtarzałeś, ale wybaczam 🤓✨

[Nestosiiaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Don]

This book is incredibly informative, telling us everything we need to conduct a solid clinical interview. And when I say everything, I literally mean everything. And that's the problem: it's so incredibly detailed that I kept getting bored, unable to read more than a sentence or two before I found myself skimming. Here's what I'm talking about: "Try instead to arrange your chairs so you can face the patient across the corner of a desk or table. That way, you can vary the distance between the two of you, as the needs of the moment indicate. If you are right-handed, you can more comfortably take notes if the patient sits to your left. Of course, two chairs that directly face one another will work well, too..." Great information information in these pages, but I don't know how many would be able to read it cover-to-cover.

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased this book because my professor said that it was a "MUST READ"-slash-keep reading book. This is one of the first books that I may have to disagree. This is a must read book for counselors who are going to be MFT or community counselors. To be a school counselor? Meh, not so useful. Sometimes, however, I forget to ask for that distinction in classes when books are being recommended.

This is a pretty detailed account of how to interview clients, including structured questions that one could copy and take to the interview. It also includes tips on how to get the client to open up and what the interviewer could do to help the session go smoother.

Very detailed...an excellent resource, but not one I think that I'll need?

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

mmmm..... professional literature... exciting.... seriously, this is a brilliant primer on the art of the what can be the oh-so-uncomfortable initial interview with a patient.

[Kayson Fakhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

it made me wonder how much the first interview is critical and how trivial we are taking it

[Archita · Rating 5 out of 5]

parts of this text were required reading for my psychotherapy skills course. i ended up reading the entire text, as I found it very interesting and super helpful in demystifying the process of the intake interview.

a few things are offputting - the reference of clients as patients (per the medical model), and the writer's privilege and slightly dated perspective were sometimes frustrating, but overall I found this text to be a very valuable resource!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the required texts for my Clinical and Diagnostic Interviewing course this semester, but that didn't keep it from being quite readable. I will likely refer to it again on many occasions, but the first time through was a great help in getting myself into the mindset of someone asking intensely personal questions of strangers for a living.

[Billie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is great for getting students started with clinical interview skills and techniques. However the focus on referrimg to client experiences and comcerns as "problems", categorizing emotions as either good or bad, and insisting that diagnosis is the only way to a path for treatment are limitations, particulary for strengths focused client centered work.

[Ewelina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wspaniała i obowiązkowa książka dla wszystkich klinicystów, diagnostów i studentów psychologii. Ogrom wiedzy praktycznej. Kończę tę książkę z kilometrami notatek i gotowym schematem wywiadu diagnostycznego.

[Giang Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely on my favorite and useful book list that I'll keep referring to in the future. I haven't highlighted that much for a long time. The appendices are also super convenient. Good read!

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introductory text for novice clinicians. My students found it easy to digest.

[studyyconmi · Rating 1 out of 5]

W moim odczuciu była nużąca, nie przeczytałam w całości

[Mariana Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gran material para psicólogos

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a psychiatrist, psychologist or medical doctor or planning to be any of those; I just picked this up because it looked interesting. It was very interesting and well organized, and I feel it would benefit psychiatrists and psychiatric interns a great deal.

One thing I was curious about though -- the book makes no mention of autism spectrum disorders at all. I know that autism is not, technically, a mental illness, but its symptoms can mimic mental illnesses (Asperger's Syndrome symptoms could fit several personality disorders) and last I knew it still had a place in the DSM-IV. Autism's absence from this book is a rather glaring omission and this is what kept me from giving the book five stars instead of four.

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

La verdad es que la lectura de este libro se me hizo ETERNA. Y aunque lo encuentro súper útil, definitivamente un error es leerlo de corrido porque te vas a aburrir un montón después de unos cuantos capítulos.

Hay muchos libros de teoría que podés leer sin parar y ni se sienten, este no es uno de ellos. No digo que sea malo, solo que más bien es 10/10 pero cuando quieres saber cosas específicas y hasta ahí.

Así que 0 recomendado si querés como adentrarte al cómo hacer una entrevista etnográfica como principiante, más bien sirve para reforzar conocimientos (al menos a mí parecer)

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Morrison's book, about initial intake interviews in the mental health field, was on the "suggested further reading" list for one of my classes, but it has become my dog-eared companion, far more than any of my required texts. It is full of basic practical advice, and the material is organized flowingly, covering most aspects of info-gathering, diagnosing, and treatment planning. It is written in a conversational style, very easy to digest.

[Angajeq · Rating 5 out of 5]

dobry wstep do psychologii, bardzo mi sie podobala; przystepnie napisana nie musialam zbyt czesto zagladac do wikipedii do tego fajny format i mimo swoich 400 stron nie zanudzila mnie na smierc, a wrecz przeciwnie - zaciekawila

[Christine]

Very informative and easy read!

[Delia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great book! Helped me so much with my first intake sessions!

[LEjandrio190 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un gran libro para introducirse al mundo de la entrevista psicológica

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

great for those in mental health