ABSTRACT
The titular quote of the chapter references a response on the Thematic Apperception Test and speaks to the crucial function of comprehensive psychological testing for patients in inpatient settings. More often than not, there is an imperative to quickly supply patients with a psychotic or mood disorder diagnosis, often at the expense of nuance and accuracy; while clinicians are well intentioned, there is the potential to create a faulty label that can have serious implications for the direction of future treatment. Furthermore, subtle personality dynamics can be lost within the attempt to work with symptoms painted in the broad strokes of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. A comprehensive battery of psychological tests can examine the important interplay of cognition and personality factors to aid clinicians in developing an effective treatment plan that extends beyond the inpatient stay. This chapter will discuss using a case study to illustrate how a battery of intelligence, neuropsychological, objective personality and projective tests provided crucial insight into an ultimately successful course of treatment for a complicated diagnostic case.
