1.6 Common Differential Diagnoses

Assessment by the Health Professional

Watch carefully for discrepancies in person’s behavior while taking prolonged, detailed history.
Dig deep into patient’s personality ( assessing for antisocial personality disorder, histrionic personality traits).
Find out about the legal status of the patient (pending legal charges).
Ask rapid questions and see the incoherence between answers.
Ask a variety of open-ended and leading questions.
Watch for exaggeration of psychiatric symptoms like hallucinations and delusions.