How far has the person gone in school? Did the person experience any academic or behavioral problems during school?

 

Guidelines for Developing a Case

Review the case studies provided in this course for descriptions of mental illness. Then use the following guidelines to develop your fictitious case. Your case should not name the diagnosis, but should describe the symptoms that are present for the individual in the case.

A case may include some or all of the following elements in varying degrees:

Presenting problem: Why is the person presenting for treatment? How severe is the problem? How does this issue interfere with the person’s family, work, friendships, leisure activities, and relationships? What has the person done to try to solve the problem and with what success?

History of problem: How long have these issues been experienced? Have there been times when the

Problem was absent? When did the problem first occur?

Prior treatment history: Has this issue ever been treated before? If so, how and when? Have any

psychotropic medications been prescribed?

Medical history: Does the person have any physical illnesses or disabilities? Has the person ever been

hospitalized for medical illness or has the person been operated upon? Does the person take any

medications for medical issues?

Family history: Whom does the person live with? Is the family intact? How many siblings are there? Are

there any step-siblings or half-siblings? Are there relatives who have been diagnosed or treated for

mental illness or substance abuse? Do any family members have any significant medical disease or

illness?

Developmental history: Was the prenatal and childhood development normal? Were there any

remarkable issues to note?

Educational history: How far has the person gone in school? Did the person experience any academic or behavioral problems during school?

Work history: Does the person have a career? How stable is the work history? Has the person

experienced problems with coworkers or supervisors?

Legal history: Has the person ever been arrested or served time in prison? If so, what were the charges?

Sexual relationship history: Is the person sexually active? Has the person ever experienced domestic

violence? Has there been a divorce? What is the identified sexual orientation?

Woody’s Case

Woody, a 42-year-old married accountant, complains of dizziness, sweaty palms, stomachaches, and shortness of breath. He has been experiencing these symptoms for more than two years with few periods of extended relief. He also experiences dryness in mouth, periods of extreme muscle tension, and a constant nervousness that has often interfered with his ability to focus on his work. Although these symptoms lead to frustration, he denies feeling depressed and continues to enjoy hobbies and family activities.

Because of these symptoms, Woody has seen his primary care physician, a chiropractor, and several other specialists, but has received conflicting diagnoses and treatment, none of which have helped.

Woody constantly worries about the health of his wife, parents, and children. He thinks about accidents that could happen and tries to plan to avoid them. Woody’s wife was diagnosed with breast cancer several years ago. She received treatment and has been cancer free for over one year. Woody also worries about his performance at work, feeling he could be fired at any time, though his work reviews do not indicate any problems.

Page 1 of 1 Abnormal Psychology

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