For this assignment, imagine you are an interning psychiatrist assigned to the state mental hospital. One
of your duties as an intern is to make an initial diagnosis based on a history you take upon a patient’s
arrival. Later, a team of doctors will evaluate your initial assessments to determine your professional
competence.
For each of the five case studies given below, list the symptoms and then state your diagnosis and the
rationale behind it. Consult the DSM website for help.
Case 1: Kristin, age 20, is a firstyear college student. This is her first time away from home, and she
worries about her family a lot, as her parents are going through a bitter divorce and she has a
little brother at home. Kristin is having trouble concentrating on her studies and has been
complaining about various physical problems. Sometimes she has sudden, unexplained attacks
of fear, and sometimes, for no apparent reason, her heart races, she has chest pains, and she
gets sweaty all over. She sometimes also feels nauseated and dizzy. At first she thought she
might be having a heart attack, but a medical exam found that her heart was fine.
Case 2: Shelby, a 13-year-old girl, is brought in by her mother. The mother is concerned about Shelby's
"unusual" bedtime routine. Before going to bed each night, Shelby spends exactly one hour
writing all the events of her day in minute detail in a special journal. She then picks all of the
hair and lint off her bed and folds her sheets back until they are "just right." She then spends
anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes brushing and flossing her teeth. Finally, after lying down in
bed, she calls out good night to each person in the family. If everyone answers, she can sleep;
otherwise, she gets up and checks on those who didn’t respond. She then goes back to bed
and starts the “call out” ritual again. If she wakes up during the night, she has to "call out" again
before falling back to sleep, which is disruptive to everyone's rest.
Case 3: Carl, age 32, is an assistant principal at a local high school. He came to the hospital today
because of some "blackouts" he's been experiencing over the past six months. The first one
occurred after the worst day in his personal life and professional career. That day, his wife
revealed that she’d been having an affair with one of his coworkers and wanted a divorce. He
then left the house to get some space and think, but couldn’t remember what happened afterward.
He "came to" in the parking lot of a movie theater about 100 miles from his home. He has had four
more blackouts since that time, though he's never "come to" as far away from home as the first time.
Case 4: Lyndsi is a 22-year-old woman who was just brought in from the emergency room of the adjacent
hospital. She was reportedly found at a McDonald's trying to cut her wrists with a plastic knife while
rocking back and forth. When the manager approached her and tried to talk to her, she was
unresponsive. A moment later, she screamed that the people in the hamburgers were making
her cut. She remained agitated until the police came, and she kept talking about "them."
Case 5: Becky, age 42, was brought in by local law enforcement after she was found running naked
through the town park. When asked what she was doing, she said that it "felt good to be free."
When the police asked her to come with them, she became combative and had to be
handcuffed. She continued to hiss and spit at the officers until arriving at the hospital, where
she smiled broadly and yelled, "Home sweet home!" During your interview with her, she seems
very excitable but pleasant. She mentions that her run through the park was a celebration.
When you ask what she is celebrating, she says that she has been feeling rather down for the
past two weeks, but that today she felt great and decided to celebrate with a run.
Case 1:
Symptoms: Trouble concentrating, physical problems such as chest pains and sweating, sudden attacks of fear, nausea, dizziness.
Diagnosis: Panic Disorder
Rationale: Kristin is experiencing sudden, intense periods of fear and physical symptoms without any apparent trigger. These symptoms are consistent with a diagnosis of Panic Disorder.
Case 2:
Symptoms: Bedtime rituals, writing in detail about daily events, brushing and flossing teeth extensively, calling out good night to family members.
Diagnosis: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Rationale: Shelby's bedtime rituals and the need to repeat certain actions are indicative of OCD. Her need for things to be done in a specific way and the distress caused by deviation from these rituals are characteristic of OCD.
Case 3:
Symptoms: Blackouts, memory loss, first blackout following personal crisis, blackouts occur after stressful events.
Diagnosis: Dissociative Amnesia
Rationale: Carl's blackouts following stressful events and memory loss point to dissociative amnesia. The fact that these episodes are triggered by personal crisis supports this diagnosis.
Case 4:
Symptoms: Attempted self-harm, delusions about people in hamburgers making her harm herself, agitated behavior.
Diagnosis: Acute Psychosis
Rationale: Lyndsi's delusions about people in hamburgers making her harm herself and agitated behavior are characteristic of acute psychosis. Her inability to respond to others in a coherent way also suggests a break from reality.
Case 5:
Symptoms: Running naked in public, combative behavior towards law enforcement, excitement and celebratory mood.
Diagnosis: Manic Episode (Bipolar Disorder)
Rationale: Becky's sudden burst of energy, celebratory mood, and risky behavior like running naked in public are consistent with a manic episode, which is a common feature of Bipolar Disorder. Her rapid speech, high energy level, and impulsivity support this diagnosis.
A. What are the benefits and drawbacks of using diagnostic labels? (3 points)
B. Use the biopsychosocial perspective to explain the development of depression. (3 points)
C. List four specific factors thought to be involved in the development of schizophrenia. (4 points)
A.
Benefits of using diagnostic labels:
1. Provides a common language: Diagnostic labels help professionals communicate effectively about a person's symptoms, treatment plan, and prognosis.
2. Facilitates treatment planning: Having a specific diagnosis can guide treatment options and interventions, leading to better outcomes.
3. Validation and understanding: For individuals experiencing mental health issues, receiving a diagnosis can provide validation of their struggles and help them understand their condition better.
Drawbacks of using diagnostic labels:
1. Stigma: Labels can lead to stigma and discrimination, affecting an individual's self-esteem and how they are perceived by others.
2. Oversimplification: Diagnoses may oversimplify the complexity of mental health conditions and fail to capture the uniqueness of each individual's experience.
3. Medicalization: By assigning a label, there is a risk of reducing psychological distress to a purely medical issue, neglecting environmental and social factors that may contribute to the problem.
B.
Using the biopsychosocial perspective to explain the development of depression involves considering biological, psychological, and social factors that contribute to the disorder. Biologically, genetic predisposition and alterations in brain neurotransmitters such as serotonin are linked to depression. Psychological factors like negative thought patterns, low self-esteem, and unresolved traumas can also play a role in the development of depression. Social factors, such as stressful life events, lack of social support, and environmental stressors, can further contribute to the onset of depressive symptoms. The interaction of these biological, psychological, and social factors can lead to the development and maintenance of depression.
C.
Four specific factors thought to be involved in the development of schizophrenia are:
1. Genetic factors: Studies have shown that individuals with a family history of schizophrenia have a higher risk of developing the disorder, suggesting a genetic component to its development.
2. Neurobiological factors: Abnormalities in brain structure and function, particularly in areas associated with decision-making, memory, and emotions, have been implicated in schizophrenia.
3. Prenatal and perinatal factors: Complications during pregnancy or birth, exposure to toxins, infections, or malnutrition during gestation, and maternal stress have been linked to an increased risk of developing schizophrenia later in life.
4. Environmental factors: Stressful life events, exposure to trauma, substance abuse, and social factors such as urban upbringing or immigration have been identified as environmental factors that can contribute to the development of schizophrenia.
make it sound less ai coded
A.
Benefits of using diagnostic labels:
1. Providing a common language: Diagnostic labels help professionals in the mental health field communicate effectively about symptoms, treatment plans, and expected outcomes.
2. Facilitating treatment planning: Having a specific diagnosis can guide healthcare providers in choosing appropriate treatment options and interventions tailored to the individual's needs.
3. Validating and understanding: Receiving a diagnosis can help individuals with mental health issues feel validated in their struggles and gain a better understanding of their condition.
Drawbacks of using diagnostic labels:
1. Stigma: Labels can lead to negative stereotypes and discrimination, impacting an individual's self-esteem and how others view them.
2. Oversimplification: Diagnoses may oversimplify the complexity of mental health conditions, potentially not fully capturing the uniqueness of each person's experience.
3. Medicalization: Assigning a label to mental health issues could sometimes overly focus on the medical aspect, possibly neglecting important environmental and social factors that contribute to the individual's struggles.
B.
Using the biopsychosocial perspective to explain depression involves looking at biological, psychological, and social factors. Biologically, genetic predisposition and changes in brain chemicals like serotonin can contribute to depression. Psychologically, negative thought patterns, low self-esteem, and unresolved traumas play a role. Socially, stressful life events, lack of support, and environmental stressors can also impact the development of depressive symptoms. The interplay of these factors can lead to the onset and continuation of depression.
C.
Four factors thought to be linked to schizophrenia development include:
1. Genetic factors: Having a family history of schizophrenia increases the risk of developing the disorder, indicating a genetic influence.
2. Neurobiological factors: Brain structure and functioning abnormalities, especially in areas related to decision-making, memory, and emotions, are associated with schizophrenia.
3. Prenatal and perinatal factors: Complications during pregnancy or delivery, exposure to toxins, infections, or maternal stress can raise the likelihood of developing schizophrenia later on.
4. Environmental factors: Stressful life events, trauma exposure, substance use, and social aspects like urban living or immigration have been connected to an increased risk of schizophrenia emergence.