Posted: January 18th, 2023

Differential Diagnosis Step by Step in DSM-5

A differential diagnosis is the process of identifying the possible diseases or conditions that could be causing a patient’s symptoms. Here is a step-by-step guide to conducting a differential diagnosis:
Obtain a thorough medical history and perform a physical examination. This will help you gather important information about the patient’s symptoms, including when they started, how long they have been present, and whether they are getting better or worse.
List all of the possible diagnoses that could be causing the patient’s symptoms. This list is called the “differential.”
Evaluate each potential diagnosis on the differential. Consider the likelihood of each diagnosis based on the patient’s medical history and physical examination, as well as any additional tests or information that may be available.
Narrow down the differential by eliminating diagnoses that are less likely or are ruled out by further testing.
Consider the most likely diagnosis and develop a treatment plan. If the diagnosis is not clear or if the patient’s condition is severe or life-threatening, you may need to start treatment before a definite diagnosis is made.
Follow up with the patient to assess the effectiveness of the treatment and to determine if any further testing is necessary.
Remember, a differential diagnosis is a process and may take some time to complete. It is important to be thorough and to consider all of the potential diagnoses in order to arrive at an accurate and effective treatment plan.

Sample Assignment:
Differential Diagnosis Step by Step in DSM-5
Prior to beginning work on this assignment, please read Chapter 1: Differential Diagnosis Step by Step in DSM-5: Handbook of Differential Diagnosis and review one of the case studies from the Case Studies in Abnormal Psychology text that you did not write about in your Week One and Week Two discussions.

Select one of the following cases that you have not already written about in a prior assignment in this class.

Case 3: Hoarding Disorder
Case 4: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Case 5: Major Depressive Disorder
Case 6: Bipolar Disorder
Case 13: Schizophrenia
Case 14: Antisocial Personality Disorder
Case 15: Borderline Personality Disorder
Case 18: You Decide: The Case of Julia
Case 20: You Decide: The Case of Suzanne
For this assignment, you will create a differential diagnosis for the patient in your chosen case. Be sure to select one of the cases above that you have not already written about in a prior assignment for this class. Be sure to follow the instructions in Chapter 1: Differential Diagnosis Step by Step when creating your differential diagnosis. Your assignment must include the following:

Recommend a diagnosis based on the patient’s symptoms, presenting problems, and history.
Assess the validity of your diagnosis using a sociocultural perspective.
Compare at least one evidence-based and one non-evidence-based treatment option for the diagnosis. Research a minimum of two peer-reviewed sources to support your choices.
Propose and provide an explanation for a minimum of two historical perspectives and two theoretical orientations that are inappropriate alternates for the conceptualizations in this case (e.g., cognitive, behavioral, humanistic, biological, sociocultural, evolutionary, psychoanalytic, integrative, etc.). NOTE: Be clear that you are writing about theoretical orientations and using the theoretical orientations to explain the client’s symptoms and presenting problems. Do not use the theoretical orientations to discuss any therapy or treatment approaches. Your application of the theoretical orientations should answer the question: How did this client develop the symptoms and current presenting problems? For example, “Based on the cognitive perspective, how did this client develop the symptoms and current presenting problem?” “Based on the humanisitic perspective, how did this client develop the symptoms and current presenting problem?” Etc.
The Making a Differential Diagnosis assignment

Must be three to five double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Writing Center Links to an external site..
Must use at least two peer-reviewed sources in addition to the course text.

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