Practice Briefs

Psychosocial aspects of cancer depend largely on the cancer site, stage of the disease, and other contextual factors (e.g., presence of other chronic illnesses), but the psychosocial issues of cancer can be similar among different types of cancer.

Cannabis use disorder is diagnosed when a problematic pattern of cannabis use results in significant impairment. Problematic and significant impairment is defined as meeting at least two of 11 Diagnostic and Statistical...

Difficulties with career decision ranks among the most common reasons people seek career counseling. A complex concept, decidedness relates closely to broader processes of career choice and decision making and serves...

“There is no universal definition of child sexual abuse. However, a central characteristic of any abuse is the dominant position of an adult that allows him or her to force or coerce a child into sexual activity.

Pain is commonly defined as being caused by physical and/or mental distress and is further classified into two separate groups.The first classification, acute pain, is characterized as being temporary and directly...

Clinical depression, also known as recurrent depression, major depressive disorder, or unipolar depression, is a disorder characterized by repeated episodes of depression without any history of independent episodes of mood...

“Complex Trauma” is both a description of the horrific experiences a person has survived, as well as a diagnostic term for the overwhelming stress reactions that a person experiences. The reactions are usually “…

Conduct Disorder (CD) is characterized by behavior that violates either the rights of others or major societal norms, and begins in childhood or adolescence (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013).

The bipolar disorders are characterized by dramatic changes  in mood, activity, and/or  energy levels that significantly affect one’s functioning (NIMH, 2016). Those who have  these disorders  may dis- play mixed episodes in which they demonstrate...