Rod Hetzel wrote:
> What DSM-IV diagnosis would you give for test anxiety that has been
> impairing academic performance? Specific Phobia? Anxiety Disorder NOS?
> V-Code?
I'm going to give this a try (I'm bored with working on other things and I
want a diversion). I'm not a clinician although my students think that I
play one in the classroom. I am very familiar, however, with the anxiety
disorders. In general, I do not think that a diagnosis of an anxiety
disorder would be appropriate in most cases. If the person fears failure
because he/she is unprepared (hasn't studied well) or has learning
difficulties, I would not give either diagnosis: the fears are reasonable.
In general, I would be vary wary of giving either diagnosis because test
anxiety often results (in my "clinical judgement") from past experiences of
failure in school and, thus, seems to be reasonable in many cases (given how
important school success often is viewed by students and their family
members).
The most essential questions to ask are: (1) what specifically is the person
fearing; (2) does the person (nonchild) realize that the anxiety is
excessive or unreasonable? If the person fears that poor performance will
lead others (such as the teacher) to think that he/she is stupid, then a
social phobia may the best diagnosis to make, but only if the person
realizes that the anxiety is excessive AND if the person knows the material
(if the person doesn't know the material, then the fear is a reasonable
one). If, on the other hand, the person fears that not doing well on tests
means that something bad will happen (e.g., will not succeed in life), then
perhaps a specific phobia might be a better diagnosis (I am really resisting
this one, though), but again only if the person realizes that the anxiety is
excessive AND if the person knows the material.
A V code (V62.3 Academic Problems) may be assigned either alone (when it is
the focus of clinical attention) or in combination with an Axis I diagnosis
(such as social phobia) when the academic difficulties are "sufficiently
severe to warrant independent clinical attention" (DSM-IV, p. 685).
How's this sound?
Jeff
> --
Jeffry P. Ricker, Ph.D. Office Phone: (480) 423-6213
9000 E. Chaparral Rd. FAX Number: (480) 423-6298
Psychology Department [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale, AZ 85256-2626
"The truth is rare and never simple."
Oscar Wilde
"Science must begin with myths and with the criticism of myths"
Karl Popper
Listowner: Psychologists Educating Students to Think Skeptically (PESTS)
