- Need to make a diagnosis based on the case,
with previous case study activities, the correct diagnoses will be found
within the Schizophrenia Spectrum and other Psychotic Disorders section of
DSM-5. Remember, that as graduate students and future clinicians, it is
imperative that you are well versed in evidenced-based treatments and ways of understanding how to work
within a diverse world.
Instructions
For your individual case study, you will write and 3- 5 page paper in APA format on a Case Study Vignette of
your choice. You will select a case from the options provided in the Assignments and Rubrics area and also
listed in the specific WK6 Assignment – Individual Case Study. Read the specific directions on how to approach
the vignette below:
1. Read the Case Study Vignette carefully, organizing the symptoms and other relevant factors.
2. Review and apply your material, along with outside resources from your own research, for this week to
complete this assignment.
3. Identify and correctly code the most comprehensive diagnosis that accounts for the unique client
presentation.
4. Succinctly and completely justify the diagnosis by linking symptoms with the specific diagnostic criteria
they satisfy.
5. Provide two diagnoses you considered but ruled out. Remember to be very succinct on this section.
Only identify the main symptom(s)/criterion that helped you rule out these diagnoses.
After you have formally coded the diagnosis and thoroughly justified that diagnosis, your team will now:
6. Create a formal treatment plan with at least 1 long-term goal and 3 short-term goals (Remember, goals
need to be SMART: Smart, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely). Remember, with the formal
treatment plan to be succinct.
a. After writing the formal treatment plan, explain the rationale for the evidenced-based treatments
and interventions that can alleviate the symptom severity and or treat the client. Make sure that
you support your claims with evidence.
7. Discuss this diagnosis and treatment approach from a biopsychosocial model, which will require you to:
a. Discuss the role biology plays with individuals who meet full criteria for your assigned diagnosis.
Things to consider include, physical influences/symptoms, medication considerations examining
their role and side effects, etc.
b. The emotional and mental impact on the individual assigned the diagnosis
c. What are the social impacts of the assigned diagnosis?
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i. Along with the social impacts, consider the unique cultural impacts of this diagnosis
within particular groups (e.g., Hispanic).
CASE STUDY
Case Study Hector Hector is a 19-year-old Hispanic male who was brought to the emergency room by the campus police of the university he was suspended from a few months prior. The campus police were called by a professor who reported, Hector walked into his class shouting, “I am the Joker and I am looking for Batman.” When Hector refused to leave the classroom the campus police were called. Although Hector was academically successful in high school, his behavior had become increasingly odd during the past year. He quit seeing his friend and spent most of his time lying in bed staring at the ceiling. He lived with several family members but rarely spoke to any of them. He was suspended from college as a result of nonattendance. His brother has seen him mumbling quietly to himself several time and note that he has also stood on the roof of this house waving his arms as if he were “conducting a symphony.” He denied any intention of jumping from the roof or thoughts of self-harm, but claimed he felt liberated and in tune with the music when he was on the roof. While his parents encouraged him to see someone at the University’s student health office, Hector avoided doing so. There is no history of prior hospitalization. During the last several months, Hector had become increasingly preoccupied with a female friend, Janet, who lived down the street. While he insisted to his family that they were engaged, Janet told Hector’s bother that they had hardly ever spoken and certainly were not dating. Hector’s brother also reported that he had written many letters to Janet but never mailed them; instead they accumulated on his desk. His family has never known Hector to use illicit substances or alcohol and his toxicology screen is negative. When asked about drug use, Hector appeared angry and did not answer. Upon evaluation, the LCSW notes Hector is well-groomed young man who is generally uncooperative. He appeared constricted, guarded, inattentive, and preoccupied. He became enraged when the staff in the ER brought him some dinner. He loudly insisted that all of the hospital’s food was poisoned and that he would only drink certain kinds of bottled water. He was noted to have paranoid, grandiose, and romantic delusions. He appeared to be internally preoccupied, although he denied hallucinations. Hector reported feeling “bad” but denied depression and had no disturbance in his sleep or appetite. He was oriented and spoke articulately but refused formal cognitive testing. His insight and judgment were deemed to be poor. Hector’s grandmother died in a state psychiatric hospital, where she lived for 15 years. Her diagnosis was unknown. Hector’s mother was reportedly “crazy.” She had abandoned the family when he was young and his father and paternal grandmother raised him. Hector agreed to sign himself into the psychiatric unit, stating, “I don’t mind staying here, Anne will probably be here, so I can spend my time with her.”
