You will select a case study to analyze and “treat” from 3 possible case studies. The write-up for the case study
will be worth 50 points of your total grade. You will be presented with a written report about a patient. Your
objectives will be as follows:
Based on the information provided, determine what clinical diagnosis (or diagnoses) the client most likely
has/have. You will use of the criteria of the DSM-5 and develop a full diagnosis and justify the diagnoses by
directly demonstrating how the patient’s symptoms meet all the necessary criteria outlined in the DSM-5 to
warrant your proposed diagnosis. Other important considerations - In Chapter 4 we learned about the role that culture may play in symptomatology. Consider whether there are aspects of culture that are diagnostically important to consider? How about gender? Age?
Identify at least 2-3 treatment goals for the patient that will address the most impairing presenting symptoms
and underlying mental illness. If there is more than one diagnosis, explain which diagnosis is primary and
justify why you are focusing on a specific disorder first. Discuss the appropriate applications of psychological
treatments (e.g., relaxation, cognitive restructuring, social skills) that could be used to solve the problems
presented in this case.
Explain how your proposed treatment will address both the targeted client as well as environmental factors
(e.g., family, school/work, personal distress, social).
Identify what established psychological principles and theories explain the etiology of the diagnosis presented
in this case. That is, which theory or theories best account for the problems presented: biological, learning,
psychodynamic, etc.? Refer to your text and slides for the different theories and empirically-supported
treatments for each disorder. You need to be specific as to how the theoretical model explains the patient’s
presentation of the disorder(s) in the chosen case study. (Don’t just name a model – explain it in the context of
the given disorder. More than one theoretical framework is often necessary to fully explain all aspects of the
various disorders (remember to relate it back to the case).
Sample Solution