Review this week’s Learning Resources. Consider the insights they provide about assessing and diagnosing mood disorders.

When completing the Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation, it is important to gather a comprehensive history of the patient’s presenting problem, including the duration and severity of their symptoms, any past or current treatments, and any family history of psychiatric disorders. During the psychiatric assessment, it is important to observe the patient’s affect, behavior, and thought processes, as well as any physical symptoms.

To develop a differential diagnosis, it is important to consider all possible diagnoses that could explain the patient’s symptoms, including both psychiatric and medical conditions. The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria can be used to guide the differential diagnosis process.

In your assessment, be sure to include your critical thinking process and provide supporting evidence for each of your differential diagnoses. Compare the DSM-5 criteria for each differential diagnosis and explain what criteria rule out the differential diagnosis to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. Consider legal/ethical considerations, health promotion, and disease prevention when formulating your diagnosis and treatment plan.

When reflecting on the session, consider what you would do differently if you could conduct the session over, and discuss legal/ethical considerations, health promotion, and disease prevention taking into consideration patient factors, past medical history, and other risk factors.

Be sure to cite at least three peer-reviewed or scholarly sources to support your evaluation and diagnosis. Follow APA formatting guidelines and include an APA-formatted reference list.