A client's capacity to enter a social work relationship cannot usually be determined by which factor?

• A. Age.
• B. Cognitive ability.
• C. Mental status.
• D. Decision-making capacity.

Answer: (A)

Capacity to enter a social work relationship is determined by whether the person can understand the information, appreciate the situation and its consequences, reason about options, and communicate a clear choice. These abilities reflect cognitive functioning, mental status, and decision-making capacity, which are the factors that directly impact whether someone can give informed consent. Age by itself does not reliably indicate capacity, because people of any age can vary widely in these abilities. A younger person might be fully capable in some cases, while an older person might have impairment that affects capacity. Since capacity is task- and context-specific, age alone cannot usually determine it; the assessment relies on the person’s actual understanding and ability to decide, not on how old they are.