Mental health timeline worksheet


What is the theory behind this Mental health timeline worksheet?

The process of therapy begins with assessing the problem through different formal as well as informal testing techniques. It is the most important part of the process because it gives the therapist all the information needed regarding the present complaints and what lies beneath the surface? Knowing the onset and intensity of symptoms aids in determining which class or type of disorder they belong to. 

How will the worksheet help?

The purpose of this worksheet is to help the therapist in knowing the details about the symptoms the client has come up with during the sessions. These details can help with mental health problems like, schizophrenia related disorder, seasonal affective disorders or other issues that are a part of a spectrum. This worksheet will also help the client’s who are unable to describe their problems on their own. 

How to use this worksheet?

Read the question in the form below thoroughly. Give detailed answers to the questions. The facilitator can either ask those questions and fill themselves. Otherwise, clients or their attendees are required to write their responses

Mental health timeline worksheet

Timeline details
Number of symptoms
Name of symptoms
How long do the symptoms last (it could be days or just some hours depending on your problem) 
The date when you noticed the symptoms for the first time
How many times have the symptoms appeared up till now?
Describe the fluctuations in intensity of the symptoms (times when symptoms are high and when they are low)
When was the last time you noticed the symptoms?
How many times have you noticed no symptoms at all? 
What methods, in your opinion, worked that reduced the symptoms?
Has any other family member displayed similar symptoms in the past or present?
What type of medications are you taking
Has the client taken any psychotropic medications?Yes/No
Have you noticed any psychological side effects after taking the medications?
How long has the client been taking said medications?

References 

Groth-Marnat, G., & Wright, A. J. (2016). Handbook of Psychological Assessment. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 

Partonen, T., Lönnqvist, J. Seasonal Affective Disorder. Mol Diag Ther 9, 203–212 (1998). https://doi.org/10.2165/00023210-199809030-00004

You can download this worksheet here.


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