PG DIPLOMA IN MENTAL HEALTH

(PGDMH)

HANDBOOK ON PRACTICAL
MPCL 055

Discipline of Psychology
School of Social Sciences
Indira Gandhi National Open University
MaidanGarhi, New Delhi – 110068
EXPER COMMITTEE
Prof. Vimala Veeraraghavan (Chairperson) Prof. Ram Ghulam
Former Emeritus Professor Head, Dept. of Psychiatry
Discipline of Psychology M.G.M. Medical College Indore, M.P.
IGNOU, New Delhi Superintendent-Mental Hospital Indore

Prof. T.B. Singh Prof. Dinesh Kataria

Professor, Clinical Psychology Dept. of Psychiatry
Institute of Behavioural Sciences Lady Hardinge Medical College
Gujrat Forensic Sciences University New Delhi
Gujrat
Prof. R.C. Jiloha
Prof. B.S. Chavan Head, Dept. of Psychiatry
Head, Dept. of Psychiatry G.B. Pant & Maulana Azad Medical College
Government Medical College New Delhi
Chandigarh
Prof. M. Thirunavakkarasu
Prof. R.K. Chadda President, Indian Psychiatric Society
Dept. of Psychiatry, AIIMS Head, Dept. of Psychiatry
Ansari Nagar, New Delhi SRM Medica College Hospital & Research
Center, Chennai
Dr. Rajeev Dogra
Clinical Psychologist Dr. Swati Patra
Dept. of Psychiatry, PGIMS (Programme Coordinator)
Rohtak Associate Professor, Discipline of Psychology
IGNOU, New Delhi

PROGRAMME COORDINATOR
Dr. Swati Patra
Associate Professor, Discipline of Psychology
SOSS, IGNOU, New Delhi

COURSE COORDINATOR & PREPARATION

Dr. Swati Patra
Associate Professor in Psychology
SOSS, IGNOU, New Delhi

PRINT PRODUCTION
Mr. Manjit Singh
Section Officer (Pub.), SOSS, IGNOU, New Delhi

October, 2014
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 CONTENTS

1.1 Introduction 5
1.2 Objectives 5
1.3 Work Centre 5
1.4 Activities to be carried out 6
1.5 Role of the Supervisor at the Work Centre 17
1.6 Guidelines for Learners 20
1.7 Practical Report 20
1.8 Evaluation 21
1.9 Term End Examination 21
Appendices:
Appendix–I Certificate Regarding Criteria for the Work Centre 22
Appendix–II Norms for Approval of Supervisor at Work Centre 23
Appendix-III Consent Letter 24
Appendix-IV Acknowledgement 25
Appendix-V Evaluation Scheme for Practical (MPCL-055) 26
Appendix-VI Certificate of Completion 27
Appendix-VII Remuneration Bill 28
1.1 INTRODUCTION

Practical (MPCL 055) is an important component of the P.G. Diploma in Mental Health. It is an
8 credit course, i.e., the learner has to devote 240 hours for this course (one credit equals 30
hours of study). It offers the learners an opportunity to integrate their theoretical knowledge
with the practice in the field. As part of the practical, the learners will be exposed to actual case
studies and understand the details of case conceptualization and psychological intervention for
the mental disorders. The practical will give them hands on experience of the mental illness and
disorders in the real context.

Increasing incidence of mental disorders especially depression, anxiety etc., irrespective of gender
and socio economic status has created concern in the present times. This appears all the more
prevalent in India with its increasing population, influence of westernization, increasing fast
pace of work, high competition in the world of work and studies, and the variety of stress people
are subjected to in their daily life and so on. This requires an urgent attention to the mental
health needs and concerns. However, we are more aware about physical illness than mental
illness and put more premium on the former, neglecting the latter. Mental health is crucial and
has an important role in contributing to an effective, productive and healthy life. The mental
health of individuals not only depends on the treatment of mental disorders but a lot on prevention,
which needs early identification, diagnosis and intervention.

The learners under the able guidance of professional supervision will learn to deal with the
issues of mental health in diverse population including children, adolescents and adults.

The practical training will help the learners to understand the cases of mental disorders in detail,
identify signs of mental disorders and take measures for the prevention and intervention of
mental disorders and illness. The learners will not receive training during this practical to provide
medical intervention for the mental disorders. This training will enable the learners to carry out
psychological interventions for the mental disorders.

1.2 OBJECTIVES
The objectives of MPCL-055 Practical are to:
• enable the learners to understand case history in the context of mental disorders;
• understand and be trained in taking clinical interview;
• carry out mental status examination;
• explain the cases of mental disorders; and
• understand and provide psychological interventions.

1.3 WORK CENTRE

The Practicals will be carried out at the Work Centre attached to the concerned Regional Centre
that has agreed to provide training facilities. The learner needs to get in touch with the Supervisor
at the Work Centre to carry out his/ her practical training.

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The learner may also do the practical at his/ her workplace provided necessary requirements are
fulfilled. In this regard, the learner needs to submit the Certificate (Appendix-I) duly signed by
the Head/ Director of the Hospital/ Institution/ University alongwith the Consent letter from the
supervisor (Appendix-III) including his/ her bio-data. The Supervisor has to be from the same
place where the learner is working. The learner will submit both these to the Programme
Coordinator (PGDMH), Discipline of Psychology, IGNOU, New Delhi for approval. The criteria
for being a supervisor is given in Appendix-II. The learner will carry out the activities related to
the practical course only after getting the approval from the IGNOU Headquarter.

1.4 ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT

The learner is required to put in 240 hours of work at the Work Centre. If the learner devotes 3
hours per day, then he/ she has to spend 2 months and 20 days to complete the 240 hours of
supervised practical training.

The learner will observe cases being handled by the clinical psychologist/ psychiatrist in the
hospital or institution. S/he will learn about assessment and diagnosis, including interviewing,
case history taking, conducting mental status examination and therapeutic interventions.

The learner is required to do the following activities:

• Case History Taking : write two detailed case histories
• Clinical Interviewing & MSE : carry out mental status examination (MSE) of two patients
and write verbatim report of how the interview was
conducted
• Case Vignettes : write report on two case vignettes, one focusing on
diagnosis and one on psychological intervention
• Case intervention : observing two cases where intervention is being carried
out, suggesting intervention and writing report on it
Interviewing is one of the most important skills in the practical. It helps gain information about
various details about the client/ patient. Here the learner will have an understanding about how
to take case history and to conduct Mental Status Examination.

CASE HISTORY
It is necessary to take case history of a client/patient so as to understand his/ her background.
Case history covers personal information like name, age, gender, religion, education, income,
socio economic status etc. It further covers information about family, job if any, medical
complaints, medical or any other treatment or help sought by the patient.

A sample of Case History Format is given as follows:

1) Personal details: These are mainly for the identification of the patient and to understand
his/ her basic details. This will be followed by certain other details about the patient. They
may be :

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 Name:

Address:

Contact No.:

Sex: Male/ Female

Age:

Marital status:

Occupation:

Referred by:

Main/ Present/ Chief Complaint:

2) Personal History/Development: This can cover various aspects like early development,
childhood, school, adolescence, occupation, menstrual history, sexual history, marital history,
details about children, social network, habits, leisure and forensic history.

3) History of Present Illness: These are details of problems experienced by the client/ patient.
This covers common psychiatric symptoms , comment on the impact of the illness on the
patient’s life, work, social relations and self-care. Details of previous treatment are also to
be noted down with details about current problem and psychiatric issues. Further, details of
previous episodes of illness, previous psychiatric admissions/treatment, suicide attempts/
drug and alcohol abuse, interval functioning (how is the patient like between episodes/
when “well’).

4) Medical History: The details of medical treatment that the patient has undergone or is
undergoing has to be noted down.

5) Family History: It includes information on parents and siblings, nature of the relationships
between family members and family tensions, stresses and family models of coping. Family
history of psychiatric illness (including drug/alcohol abuse, suicide attempts) are to be noted.

6) Social History: The social interactions of the patient, including behaviour at work or in
school or during social gatherings is to be noted down.

The learner will conduct the initial interview which will contain information about the following
in the given order, though depending on the case, the order may be somewhat altered. The intake
information to be taken is given below.

Intake information

Registration No: Name :

Age : Sex :

Address :

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Educational qualification:

Occupation:

Income:

Marital status:

Does the patient stay with parents/spouse :

Does the patient has any siblings, if so, how many:

What is the position of the patient in the family: Eldest, middle or youngest or only child:

Any one in the family is suffering/has suffered from any mental disorder:

Anyone in the family is suffering/has suffered from any physical disorder:

Presenting complaints: (This should be recorded exactly the way the patient narrates what s/he
is feeling i.e. verabtim) :

Date of onset of illness (the first attack):

Precipitating factor if any:

Duration of illness:

Intensity of illness (on a scale of 10):

Treatment taken:

Got well at any time in between; duration of such period of wellness:

Was there any precipitating factor at each relapse:

How many relapses:

Any other treatment tried in between:

What was the effect:

In what ways the illness causes inconvenience?

• Has to take leave from work place / school/ college
• Cannot carry on even the routine works
• Has to depend on others for everything
• Want to lie down and take rest
• Don’t want to do anything
• Any other

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Interview with family members:

• Their view point in regard to all of the above.

• In what ways the illness causes them inconvenience?

All the above things need to be recorded in detail as told by the patient/family members.

MENTAL STATUS EXAMINATION

A Mental Status Examination (MSE) is an assessment of a patient’s level of cognitive (knowledge-
related) ability, appearance, emotional mood, and speech and thought patterns at the time of
evaluation.

It is one part of a full neurologic (nervous system) examination and includes the examiner’s
observations about the patient’s attitude and cooperativeness as well as the patient’s answers to
specific questions.

The purpose of a mental status examination is to assess the presence and extent of a person’s
mental impairment. The cognitive functions that are measured during the MSE include the
person’s sense of time, sense of place, and personal identity, memory, speech, general intellectual
level, mathematical ability, insight or judgment, and reasoning or problem-solving ability.

The MSE is an important part of the differential diagnosis of dementia and other psychiatric
symptoms or disorders. The MSE results may suggest specific areas for further testing or specific
types of required tests. MSE can also be given repeatedly to monitor or document changes in a
patient’s condition.
The MSE cannot be given to a patient who
1) Cannot pay attention to the examiner, for example as a result of being in a coma or being
unconscious; or
2) Is completely unable to speak (aphasic); or
3) Is not fluent in the language of the examiner.
Description: Given below is the description of all aspects of MSE to be conducted. The history
and Mental Status Examination (MSE) are the most important diagnostic tools to make an
accurate diagnosis. Although these important tools have been standardized in their own right,
they remain primarily subjective measures that begin the moment the patient enters the
psychologist’s room.

Steps to be followed are given here:

Step 1: The psychologist must pay close attention to the following regarding the patient:
1) Patient’s presentation,
2) Patient’s personal appearance,
3) Patient’s social interaction with office staff and others in the waiting area,
4) Whether the patient is accompanied by someone (this helps to determine if the patient has
social support).

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The above few observations can provide important information about the patient that may not
otherwise be revealed through interviewing or one-on-one conversation.
Step 2: When patients enter the office, pay close attention to the following:
1) Note the personal grooming.
2) Note things as obvious as hygiene.
3) Note things such as whether the patient is dressed appropriately according to the season.
4) These types of observations are important and may offer insight into the patient’s illness.
5) Note if patient is talking to himself or herself in the waiting area.
6) Note if the patient is pacing up and down outside the office door.
7) Record all observations.
Step 3: Establish rapport
The next step for the psychologist is to establish adequate rapport with the patient by introducing
himself or herself. Speak directly to the patient during this introduction, pay attention to whether
the patient is maintaining eye contact. Mental notes regarding such things may aid in guiding
the interview later. Note if patients appear uneasy as they enter the office, then immediately
attempt to ease the situation by offering small talk or even a glass of water. Many people feel
more at ease if they can have something in their hands. This reflects an image of genuine concern
for patients and may make the interview process much more relaxing for them. A complete
MSE is more comprehensive and evaluates the following ten areas of functioning:

1) Appearance: The psychologist notes the person’s age, sex, civil status, and overall
appearance. These features are significant because poor personal hygiene or grooming may
reflect a loss of interest in self care or physical inability to bathe or dress oneself.

2) Movement and behavior. The psychologist observes the person’s gait (manner of walking),
posture, coordination, eye contact, facial expressions, and similar behaviors. Problems with
walking or coordination may reflect a disorder of the central nervous system.

3) Affect. Affect refers to a person’s outwardly observable emotional reactions. It may include
either a lack of emotional response to an event or an overreaction.

4) Mood. Mood refers to the underlying emotional “atmosphere” or tone of the person’s
answers; whether the person is in a sad mood, happy mood, angry mood etc.

5) Speech. The psychologist evaluates the following

a) the volume of the person’s voice,
b) the rate or speed of speech,
c) the length of answers to questions,
d) the appropriateness of the answers,
e) clarity of the answers and similar characteristics.

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6) Thought content. The examiner assesses what the patient is saying for indications of the
following. These are indicative of certain typical disorders. Each of the following will have
to be checked by the trainee.

Hallucinations: Hallucinations are false or distorted sensory experiences that appear to be real
perceptions. These sensory impressions are generated by the mind rather than by any external
stimuli, and may be seen, heard, felt, and even smelled or tasted.
To test for hallucination the questions to be asked are:
1) Do you sometimes hear some voice telling you to do something or not to do something?
2) Do you sometimes hear some voice when no one is present?
3) Do you feel that someone is talking about you and loudly saying whatever you are doing?
Delusions: A delusion is an unshakable belief in something untrue. These irrational beliefs defy
normal reasoning, and remain firm even when overwhelming proof is presented to dispute them.
To test for delusions the questions to be asked are
1) Do you sometimes feel that people are after you?
2) Do you sometimes feel that people are talking about you?
3) Do you sometimes feel that your phone is tapped?
4) Do you sometimes feel people are overhearing your conversation?
Dissociation: Dissociation refers to the splitting off of certain memories or mental processes
from conscious awareness. Dissociative symptoms include feelings of unreality, depersonalization,
and confusion about one’s identity. The questions to be asked will include:
1) What is your name?
2) Who are you?
3) What work do you do?
4) Do you sometimes feel that you do not know who you are?
Obsessions: It is a persistent unwanted idea or impulse that cannot be eliminated by reasoning.
To find out about obsessions, the questions to be asked include the following:
1) Do you feel that a particular thought keep coming to your mind again and again despite
your not wanting it?
2) Do you feel sometimes a strange idea or feeling which you think is not correct keeps coming
and however much you try the thought does not go?
3) Do you find sometimes an impulse to keep washing your hands or do other things at home
repeatedly, even though you know it is unwarranted?
7) Thought process: Thought process refers to the logical connections between thoughts and
their relevance to the main thread of conversation. Irrelevant detail, repeated words and
phrases, interrupted thinking (thought blocking), and loose, illogical connections between
thoughts, may be signs of a thought disorder. These can be noted by the psychologist and
recorded as and when these occur.

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8) Cognition. Cognition refers to the act or condition of knowing.
The evaluation assesses the person’s
1) orientation (ability to locate himself or herself) with regard to time (ask the person
what time is it now?
2) orientation to place (ask the person where are you now?)
3) orientation to personal identity (ask who are you and what your name is?)
4) long- and short-term memory (ask the person what he had for breakfast. To test long
term memory, tell me the name of the school in which you studied.)
5) ability to perform simple arithmetic (counting backward by threes or sevens)
6) general intellectual level or fund of knowledge (identifying the last five Presidents, or
similar questions)
7) ability to think abstractly (explaining a proverb)
8) ability to name specified objects and read or write complete sentences (show some
objects and ask the person to name the same. Show simple sentences and ask the
person to read or write the same.)
9) ability to understand and perform a task (showing the examiner how to comb one’s
hair or throw a ball )
10) ability to draw a simple map or copy a design or geometrical figure (draw a design like
square or a triangle and ask the person to draw it after you.)
11) ability to distinguish between right and left. (touch the person’s left hand and ask what
hand is it? Repeat same thing with the right hand.)
9) Judgment: The examiner asks the person what he or she would do about a commonsense
problem, such as running out of a prescription medication. Or ask the person what he
would do if he or she finds a sealed envelope on the road)
10) Insight: Insight refers to a person’s ability to recognize a problem and understand its nature
and severity. (Do you think you are ill? If the person says he or she is not ill and that the
family member who has brought him or her is ill, that shows lack of insight)

Note: The length of time required for a Mental Status Examination depends on the patient’s
condition. It may take as little as five minutes to examine a healthy person. Patients with speech
problems or intellectual impairments, dementia, or other organic brain disorders may require
fifteen or twenty minutes. The trainee may choose to spend more time on certain portions of the
MSE and less time on others, depending on the patient’s condition and answers.

After the Mental Status Examination is over, record the entire thing in detail. Then take up the
interview with the family member or members who have accompanied the patient.

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The interview with the family members
The interview with family members should cover all aspects that are covered in the interview
with the patient. In addition, the following need to be covered.

Relationship: Patient’s relationship with family member:

If unmarried, with
Mother :
Father :
Brothers :
Sisters :
Any other relative staying with patient :
With Friends: How many friends does the patient have? How does the patient relate to them?
With neighbours :
With school and class mates :
With the teachers in school :
With other authority figures :
With playmates :
In the games field :
Educational history:
In School / College:
How is the patient in studies and academic performance?
Does the patient come up to the expectations of parents and teachers?
How has the performance been over the years?
Do they find that there is sudden deterioration in studies and academic performance?
Have they received any complaints from the school authorities regarding the patient’s
performance?
Since when have they noted that the patient is not the same in regard to academics as he or she
used to be?
Have they done anything about it so far? If so, what?
Had there been any improvement after their efforts?
When did they decide to consult a mental health specialist?

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Work history:

What occupation/job is the patient doing?

How regular is the patient for work?

Has the patient been complaining about work place? If so, what?

Has the patient been on leave? If so, for how long?

When was the time they noticed that the patient was reluctant to go for work?

What reasons were given by patient for not attending to work?

Generally how has the patient been fairing in work?

Has there been any complaint about non performance etc. about the patient?

What is their perception about patient’s relationship in the workplace?

With Boss:

With colleagues:

With subordinates:

Has the patient ever mentioned about any one bothering his/her at workplace? How much
importance have they given to patient’s such complaints?

If Married: Relationship with spouse in terms of

Day to day dealings :

Sex life :

Work relationship (if spouse is working) :

Relationship with children :

Relationship with opposite sex persons :

Decision making (who takes the decision – spouse or self) :

Sharing of work at home with the spouse :

Relationship with spouse’s relatives :

Relationship with spouse’s friends :

Record every issue in detail verbatim, that is as is being narrated by the patient’s family members.
All these cases should be written verbatim in a narrative style. What questions were asked by
the trainee/psychologist and what answer was given by the patient. At the time of answering the

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questions how was the patient answering? (For instance was the patient hesitating? Was the
patient free in communicating? Was the patient evading any question? Was the patient focusing
on the interview? Was the patient getting easily diverted and distracted? Had the questions to be
repeated a number of times before the patient replied? What was the general demeanour of the
patient while answering in the interview session? Was the patient in a hurry to finish the interview
and go off? Was the patient showing unwillingness to continue with the interview? Was there a
pause in the replies to certain questions? Was the patient cooperative and ready to answer? Was
the patient showing concern about the illness?

An example of how to write the interview session is given below:

Patient’s name:

Interview No: Date:

Session No: Time:

Purpose of the Interview:

The patient was referred to me for taking a detailed case history and Mental Status Examination.

Start of the session:

The patient Mr. X came in. He looked a little confused as to whether he was in the right place.
I saw the patient entering and told him to please come in. I then offered the seat opposite to my
chair to sit. He was accompanied by his wife and son who appeared around 20 years old. I
offered them also a seat. However as the interview started I asked Mr. X if it would be all right
we both talked alone and his wife and son waited for a while outside. It is always important that
we meet the patient alone first and hear the patient’s version before interviewing those who
accompany the patient. The reason is that such behaviour on the part of the psychologist makes
the patient feel that he is a person of worth and capable of telling him many things that he would
like to. This is the first step in establishing rapport.

However if the patient is violent, unruly and is not coherent and cannot talk etc., it would be
better to talk to the family members who accompany the patient.

Patient’s appearance: The patient was well dressed, neat and clean. He looked depressed and
also anxious. He looked a little nervous and confused.

He sat down and was rubbing his hands as if he is anxious and nervous.

I decided to make sure that the patient is comfortable and told him that he is in the right place.

I am a psychologist working here and would like to talk to him.

Mr. X smiled and said that he knew I am a clinical psychologist and wondered why he has been
referred to me.

I said, well, if you tell me about yourself and the problem for which you approached the hospital,
I will be able to tell you why you are here.

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I continued as I found the patient silent. I asked him if he had any particular problem or illness
or symptoms that are bothering him. May be I could help if he tells me something about the
reason for his approaching the hospital.

Then Mr. X started to tell me that he has not been doing well for the past few months. He is
constantly sad, depressed and disinterested in life in general. He has no inclination to go to work
nor does he want to stir out of his room despite his wife and children trying to make him get up
and talk to them etc. (He looked sad and sounded worried. I nodded my head to indicate that I
understand his problem and asked him to continue.)

Symptoms as told by Mr.X : (To be clearly written)

……………………………………………….

……………………………………………….

Next question:

The patient’s reply (along with the learner’s observations):

How did the interview session end?

For example, as the time allotted to the patient was one hour, I ended the interview in the
following manner.

Mr. X. I think today we have discussed your problem particularly from the relationship and your
experience angles. It has been possible to understand when your problems started, what
precipitated it and how you have been handling the same. Your efforts are really appreciated.

However there are many things we need to discuss with each other. For instance, the difficulties
you are facing in your office and your relationship with your family members in the last few
years need further exploration. Do you think I have understood your problems correctly? Would
you like to come for another session sometimes next week as is convenient to you? Can we fix
up next Thursday 12 p.m. for the next session? May be we would like to give some psychological
tests which may help us to understand your problem better. The patient responded he would like
to come next week at the time specified which was suitable to him also. We both stood up,
shook hands and the patient took leave.

My observation: When the patient left I found that he was looking slightly more relaxed and
smiled before he left. My feeling is that his talking about his problems and verbalizing his
feelings had relaxed him considerably.

Plan of action: Continue the interview and gather more information about the dynamics underlying
the various conflicts that he has expressed. I need also to talk to his family members to understand
the problem from their points of view.

The purpose with which today’s session was started was achieved.

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Important: Everything being told by the patient and by the learner should be recorded verbatim
as given above. The impression that the learner has about the patient and the manner in which
the patient answers, the various gestures that the patient makes, the hesitation between sentences,
the gaps and the time taken to answer question, the discomfort expressed by the patient etc.
should all be noted.

1.5 ROLE OF THE SUPERVISOR AT THE WORK

CENTRE
Learners will be closely supervised by the supervisor who will give them feedback about their
performance.

The supervisor is required to help and guide the learner in carrying out the various activities of
the Practical. S/he should interact and discuss cases with the learner.

For this there is a need to schedule a learner-supervisor conference as and when needed, preferably
once in 15 days. The supervisor can include all the learners s/he is supervising in the conference.

The supervisor needs to provide cases, case vignettes to the learner. The supervisor will expose
the learner to case history taking and conducting mental status examination of the patients. The
learner can then take case histories and carry out MSE on his/her own. Further, the learner can
also be part of the treatment team and learn about the therapeutic interventions. The supervisor
can also give the learner some materials to read if necessary.

The supervisor may advise the learner on professional development. The supervisor must make
sure that the learner is not demoralized in any way and reinforce the positive aspects in the
learner while pointing out clearly how the errors could be corrected and what the learner should
do on his or her part.
The supervisory sessions are mainly meant for the following:
i) Guide learner how to take case history and conduct an interview, establish rapport etc.
ii) Guiding the learner regarding administering the tests, scoring and interpretation
iii) To arrive at a diagnosis based on the history and the tests administered
iv) To make the learner proficient in interviewing methods, working out case history,
administering test, scoring and interpretation of the same.
v) To discuss the therapy sessions observed by the learner and help learner to understand the
psychodynamics based on the sessions.
vi) To help learner to plan a therapy programme for the patient whom he or she had interviewed
and also tested.
vii) To make sure that session by session there is some progress in the learner’s understanding
of the cases and where no progress is noted, finding out where the problem lies and helping
the learner overcome the same.
viii) Evaluate the learner’s work and progress session by session and also the skills and knowledge
that the learner is acquiring over the period of time.

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Below are given some items with regard to certain criteria for self evaluation by the learner and
evaluation by the Supervisor. Both the supervisory evaluation and the learner’s evaluation may
be discussed at the evaluation conference between the supervisor and the learner. This evaluation
conference is to make the learner understand how far s/he has acquired the needed skills and
proficiency in dealing with patients/clients.

BOX: Items for self evaluation and evaluation by the supervisor

1) Name of the learner:
2) Name of the hospital/clinic/institution (work centre) in which the learner was placed for
training:
3) Name of the supervisor at the work center:
4) Duration of training: Date of Joining and Date of completing
5) Attendance at the place of training : Regular / Irregular / Very irregular
6) Attendance at the supervisory conferences : Excellent / Average / Poor
7) No. of cases referred for Case history
8) No. of cases referred for testing:
9) No. of cases observed at therapy sessions:
10) What the learner has learned:
11) What the learner is good at:
The following statements about the learner are to be given rating according to Excellent (5),
Very Good (4), Good (3), Average (2) and Poor (1).
A) Interpersonal and professional competence
1) Maintains professional conduct (timeliness, dress code, language etc) 5 4 3 2 1
2) Interacts well with supervisors 5 4 3 2 1
3) Interacts well with other trainees 5 4 3 2 1
4) Interacts well with office staff 5 4 3 2 1
5) Interacts well with other professionals 5 4 3 2 1
6) Interacts appropriately with patients and their families 5 4 3 2 1
7) Respects roles and boundaries 5 4 3 2 1
8) Is aware of how he / she impacts others 5 4 3 2 1
9) Is able to openly reflect on personal behaviour / choices 5 4 3 2 1
10) Is able to effectively resolve interpersonal problems 5 4 3 2 1
11) Maintains appropriate patient confidentiality 5 4 3 2 1
12) Adheres to ethical practices 5 4 3 2 1
13) Overall interpersonal and professional competency 5 4 3 2 1

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B) Assessment
1) Obtains thorough and relevant patient history 5 4 3 2 1
2) Obtains relevant information from outside sources when appropriate (family members,
agencies like school etc) 5 4 3 2 1
3) Observes and reports accurately on patient behavior 5 4 3 2 1
4) Administers psychological tests as per standard procedures 5 4 3 2 1
5) Accurately scores and summarizes the data 5 4 3 2 1
6) Properly interprets and integrates results of assessments 5 4 3 2 1
7) Demonstrates knowledge of diagnosis and is able to make differential diagnosis 5 4 3 2 1
8) Makes appropriate and useful treatment recommendations 5 4 3 2 1
9) Clearly communicates results of comprehensive assessment in written report 5 4 3 2 1
10) Submits written reports to supervisor by due date 5 4 3 2 1
11) Synthesizes feedback from supervisor’s comments in written reports 5 4 3 2 1
12) Learns from previous mistakes in subsequent reports 5 4 3 2 1
13) Provides understandable and useful feedback to patients 5 4 3 2 1
14) Demonstrates knowledge and applicability of legal and ethical principles regarding
assessment. 5 4 3 2 1
15) Overall Assessment Competency 5 4 3 2 1
C) Interviewing and understanding of therapy sessions
1) Demonstrates the ability to establish rapport with patients 5 4 3 2 1
2) Demonstrates empathy and caring for patients 5 4 3 2 1
3) Appears comfortable and confident in therapy sessions 5 4 3 2 1
4) Maintains appropriate boundaries with patients 5 4 3 2 1
5) Maintains necessary documentation and submits notes within allotted time 5 4 3 2 1
6) Develops appropriate and realistic treatment plans collaboratively with patients 5 4 3 2 1
7) Demonstrates knowledge of theoretical orientations and techniques associated with each
5 4 3 2 1
8) Demonstrates ability to conceptualise the patient’s problem 5 4 3 2 1
9) Demonstrates sensitivity to diversity issues 5 4 3 2 1
10) Demonstrates appropriate termination of interview sessions 5 4 3 2 1
D) Supervision
1) Comes prepared to supervision sessions 5 4 3 2 1
2) Uses supervision to gain skills and knowledge 5 4 3 2 1
3) Is open to and receives constructive feedback 5 4 3 2 1
4) Provides evidence of incorporating supervisor’s suggestions in work with patients 5 4 3 2 1

19
5) Seeks extra super vision as needed 5 4 3 2 1
6) Effectively presents case formulation 5 4 3 2 1
7) Effectively presents assessment findings 5 4 3 2 1
8) Establishes and monitors personal goals for training 5 4 3 2 1
The description of the above ratings are as follows:
5 (Excellent) = Exemplary competency
4 (Very Good) = Competent
3 (Good) = Developing competency
2 (Average) = Inadequate skills
1 (poor) = Incompetent / requires remediation

1.6 GUIDELINES FOR LEARNERS

Learners/trainees are required to work with complete commitment and dedication and must
follow the standards of ethical and professional conduct. Each institution/organization has its
own ethical and professional standards. The learners need to adhere to these standards and
display professionalism in their manner and functioning.

If the learners face any difficulties/ problem/ conflicts at the institution/organization, the same
may be reported to the Regional Centre concerned/ Programme Coordinator.

The learner has to maintain a diary regarding his/ her activities of each day at the hospital/
institution/clinic where s/he is carrying out the practical. The diary will help the learner in further
discussion and clarification with regard to cases with the supervisor.

1.7 PRACTICAL REPORT

At the end of practical training, the learner has to prepare a report of the various activities
carried out.
The learner needs to use the following format for writing the Report:
i) Case histories
ii) Report of MSE
iii) Case vignettes
iv) Intervention
v) Reflections – how you did the activities, how did it go and what you learnt from it
The learner should attach the certificate of completion (Appendix VI) in the Report. The
learner will submit the Practical Report at the Regional Centre and take acknowledgement
(Appendix-IV). A copy of the Practical Report should be kept before submitting it.

20
1.8 EVALUATION
The total marks for practicals is 100. For successful completion of the course MPCL 055, a
learner should secure a minimum of 40% marks separately under internal evaluation and external
evaluation (see Appendix V for Evaluation Scheme).

The distribution of marks under internal and external evaluation is given below:

Sl No Internal Evaluation External evaluation

Activities Maximum Marks Activities Maximum Marks
1 Case history 15 Practical Report 15
2 MSE 15 Viva Voce 25
3 Case Vignette 20
4 Intervention 10

TOTAL MARKS 60 40

1.9 TERM END EXAMINATION

The Term End Examination (TEE) of MPCL-055 consists of evaluation of the Practical Report
and Viva-Voce by the External Examiner. The learner has to appear in the TEE of MPCL-055 on
the date scheduled by the Regional Centre. S/he also to pay the examination fee for appearing in
the TEE of MPCL-055.

The examiner is to be selected from the approved list provided by the Discipline of Psychology.
The examiner will go through the Report and conduct the viva of each learner. The evaluation
consists of the following:

Practical Report – 15 Marks

Viva-Voce – 25 Marks

The viva voce will be organized by the Regional centre on any day as per their convenience
during the time period as given below.

July Cycle Admission 1st May-31st May

and
1st July – 31st July

The viva voce may be arranged for a single day or two days depending on the number of learners
(maximum of 25 learners per day).

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 APPENDICES
Appendix-I

CERTIFICATE REGARDING CRITERIA FOR THE WORK CENTRE

This is to certify that the Hospital/ Institution/ Clinic/ University __________________________

_______________________________ fulfills the following criteria as mentioned below.

“The Work Centre can be located in a Hospital / Medical Institution / University having department
of Psychiatry / Clinical Psychology/ Child Guidance Clinic with OPD and Indoor facility, with
minimum 20 patients attending OPD each day and around 10 patients in Indoor facilities; and
which possesses necessary infrastructure facilities and academic expertise as per the programme
requirement for conduct of practical.”

(Signature)

Name of Authority:

Address:

Date:

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 Appendix-II

NORMS FOR APPROVAL OF SUPERVISOR AT WORK CENTRE FOR

PG DIPLOMA IN MENTAL HEALTH

The Supervisor at the Work Centre should have the following qualifications and experience:

M.A/ M.Sc. in Clinical Psychology/ Applied Psychology/ M.A with specialization in Clinical
Psychology with 4 years of post-graduate teaching/ professional experience

Or

M.Phil/ Ph.D in Clinical Psychology with 2 years of post-graduate teaching/ professional

experience

Or

M.D. in Psychiatry with one year of post-graduate teaching/ professional experience

Each Supervisor can supervise upto 10 number of students. The detailed bio-data alongwith
necessary documents regarding the educational qualification and experience should be submitted
for approval by the Discipline of Psychology, IGNOU.

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 Appendix-III

CONSENT LETTER

This is to certify that the Practical (MPCL 055) for the partial fulfillment of P.G. Diploma in
Mental Health (PGDMH) of IGNOU will be carried out by Dr./Mr./Mrs. ________________

Enrollment No. _________________ of Regional Centre _____________________________

under my supervision.

(Signature)

Name of the Supervisor :

Designation:

Address:

Date:

24
 Appendix- IV

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This is to certify that Dr./Ms./Mr./ _______________________________________________

Enrolment No. ____________________ of PG Diploma in Mental Health (PGDMH) has
submitted the Practical Report (MPCL-055).

(Signature)

Name :

Name of the Regional Centre:

Place:

Date:

25
 Appendix-V

EVALUATION SCHEME FOR PRACTICAL (MPCL- 055)

Name of the Programme: Course Code:

Study Centre: Regional Centre:

Name of the Learner:

Enrolment No.:

Internal Marks by the Supervisor at the Work Centre

Sl No. Details Maximum Marks

1 Case history 15
2 MSE 15
3 Case Vignette 20
4 Intervention 10
Total Marks 60

External Marks by External Examiner during TEE

Sl No. Details Maximum Marks

1 Practical Report 15
2 Viva Voce 25
Total Marks 40

Comments, if any by Supervisor: ______________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Comments, if any by External Examiner: ________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Signature: Signature:
Name of Supervisor (Work Centre): Name of External Examiner:
Address: Address:
Date: Date:

26
 Appendix-VI

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

This is to certify that Dr./Ms./Mr._________________________________________________,

Enrolment No. _______________ of Regional Centre ________________________________

pursuing PG Diploma in Mental Health (PGDMH) has conducted and successfully completed
the practical activities of MPCL 055 at the place ____________________________________.
___________________________________________________________________________

Signature of the Learner Signature of the Supervisor

Place: Name:

Date: Designation:

Name of the Organization:

Address:

Place:

Date:

27
 Appendix-VII

REMUNERATION BILL
To
The Director (SR&E)
IGNOU
MaidanGarhi
New Delhi - 110068

Programme Code: PGDMH Course Code: MPCL 055

Name of Supervisor: __________________________________________________________
Designation: _________________________________________________________________
Residential Address: ___________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Official Address: _____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Telephone No. Office: ______________________
Mobile: ______________________
Sl.No. Enrolment No. Name of Student Amount

Certified that I have supervised the above students for their Practical Work of Course MPCL 055.
Dated: _____________ Signature of the Supervisor: _______________________
Certified that the above supervisor for practical work of MPCL 055 was approved and
recommended by the concerned school of study and above claim may be admitted.

Dy./Asst. Registrar Section Officer Dealing Assistant

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 Appendix – IV

PROFORMA FOR APPROVAL OF WORK CENTRE AND SUPERVISOR

FOR MPCL-055 OF PGDMH

Enrolment No.:____________________________________________________________________

Name and Address of the Learner:____________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Phone No.: _______________________ Email:___________________________________________

Study Centre & Regional Centre:______________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Name and Address of the Work Centre: ________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Name & Designation of Supervisor at Work Centre: ______________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Phone No.: ________________________ Email:___________________________________________

Signature of the Student

Date:

*Appendix I, II, and III given in the Handbook on Practical (MPCL 055) need to be enclosed with
this Proforma for approval. The proposal will not be considered without these enclosures.

**This proforma needs to be submitted in duplicate; one copy will be returned to the Learner and
the other copy will be kept by the Discipline of Psychology for record.

Work Centre: Approved Not approved

Supervisor at Work centre: Approved Not approved

(Signature & seal of Faculty)

Programme Coordinator, PGDMH
Discipline of Psychology, SOSS, IGNOU, New Delhi