[Psychodiagnosis as a therapeutic measure]

This paper attempts at filling a gap in books and articles dealing with psychologycal diagnosis techniques and methods of psychotherapy. The conditions most suitable for a correct handling of the steps prior and following psychologycal tests, are proposed. Any clinical situation involving investigation of symptoms, productive potential, and aiming at assessing levels of health or sickness, diagnosis or prognosis, is bound to give rise to increased anxiety, normal and pathologycal. We propose that previous to such an examination the patient should undergo some kind of preparation including brief information about types of tests to be used, and the working out of some of the patient's anxieties. As to the best way to handle the evaluation of those studies we agree with the criteruim that patients should receive information that should be offered through a dialogue and ajusted to the level of endurance or tolerance the patients involved are likely to possess. The paper includes a guideline for bringing back to the patient the information and several clinical examples of its use.