Case conceptualization

The movie: "Luckiest Girl Alive" (2022) on Netflix
The character: Ani FaNelli
Mental Disorder: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from Sexual Assault

1. Assess and diagnose a character with discernible mental health symptoms, and
2. Analyze the influence of salient biopsychosocial factors on their presentation.

Outline for Case Conceptualization Assignment

1. Introductory/Thesis Paragraph: Provide a description of the character and briefly explain the context set by the work of fiction’s premise and setting. Introduce your claim/thesis, which is simply a description of the DSM-5 disorder AND the general symptom profile that the character demonstrates (core symptoms, affective, cognitive, behavioral, etc.) that fits the DSM-5 criteria.
2. Symptom Profile/Differential Diagnosis: How does this individual meet, or not meet, certain diagnostic criteria for this disorder? Explain how their symptom profile and presenting issues help differentiate between competing disorders.
3. Disorder Development/Etiology: How do you explain the manifestation/development of this disorder in your character? How does it fit with what you learned about the disorder’s etiology? What explanations can be offered based on scientific perspectives outlined in early chapters of your text?
4. Impact on Mental Health/Functioning: How is the character’s functioning across life domains influenced by this disorder (What is the individual’s experience of suffering from the disorder? What is quality of life like? How are relationships affected?). Provide at least 2 examples from the film, episode, etc. in which the individual’s symptoms are observed and functioning is impacted.
5. Critique/Conclusions: Based on the character’s context/setting, interactions with other characters, and critical incidents in the fictional work, what is your critique of how this psychological disorder is portrayed? (What makes it an accurate depiction? What stereotypes are misleading/stigmatizing?) How do other characters’ reactions to the psychological symptoms influence the observer’s perspectives? What is this character’s prognosis (i.e., forecast for the course of their disorder/treatment), given the character’s situation?

Sample Solution