Name :______Date: ______
Case Studies of Psychological Disorders
Case Study 1
Edna, age 20, a sophomore in college, had a pronounced fear of being left alone with a man, whether fellow student, professor, relative, or acquaintance. She refused all dates and never allowed herself to be placed in situations where it was necessary for her to go home with someone of the opposite sex. She could give not good reason for this fear, but recognized her problem; yet, there seemed to be nothing that she could do about it. Recently, when it appeared inevitable that she must go home from a party with a boy, she trembled, her hands became clammy, and she became very faint. As a result her hostess invited her to remain for the night.
What disorder does Edna have? ______Why do you think she has it? ______
______
Case Study 2
George T., age 35, an auto mechanic, on several occasions found himself in a motion picture theater after having left home to report for work. He would “come to” in a bewildered fashion and would go to a bar for a few drinks. Eventually he would go home.
As a child, George had a pattern of wandering away from home. He came from a very unhappy family; his parents were divorced, and he was left at home with housekeepers. His father was very harsh with him and on several occasions gave him such severe whippings that the neighbors called the police. His mother was a highly emotional person and tried to discipline George by screaming at him and threatening to place him in a boarding home.
In adolescence, he twice found himself going off to school and eventually, “coming to” in a park about two miles from home. In school, George got along well with the teachers and other students. However, he was a poor student and failed both the second and seventh grades. He quit school at 16.
What disorder does George have? ______Why do you think he has it? ______
______
Case Study 3
An 11 year-old-boy had instituted the following ceremony before going to bed: He did not sleep until head told his mother in the minutest detail all the events of the day; there must be no scraps of paper or other rubbish on the carpet of the bedroom; the bed must be pushed right to the wall; three chairs must stand by it and the pillows must lie in a particular way. In order to get to sleep he must first kick out a certain number of times with both legs and then lie on his side.
What disorder does this boy have? ______Why do you think he has it? ______
______
Case Study 4
A married woman, whose life was complicated by her mother’s living in the home, complained that she felt tense and irritable most of the time. She was apprehensive lest something happen to her mother, her husband, her children, or herself. She had no definite idea what it was that she feared might happen. She suffered from occasional attacks in which her heart pounded and was irregular; she could not seem to get her breath. Often she broke out in a profuse perspiration. Her mouth seemed always dry, even though she drank a great deal of water. She could not sleep.
What disorder does this woman have? ______Why do you think she has it? ______
______
Case Study 5
An enlisted man in the Air Corps had some previous experience as a private pilot. After a disagreement with his wife, he decided to punish her by committing suicide. Choosing the most dramatic method he could think of, he took off in a large, unattended aircraft and made several passes at the local river, each time pulling up before he plunged in. Very soon, all other aircraft were diverted to other cities, and the local control tower was concentrating on trying to persuade him to change his mind. He finally agreed, but then he discovered that although he knew how to take off, he did not know how to land the unfamiliar plane. After some tense interchanges with the control tower, however, he managed to get the plane down. When the welcoming party of military police arrived at the plane, he found himself unable to remember his name or anything about his identity, his present situation, or the events leading up to it.
More on back
What disorder does this have? ______Why do you think he has it? ______
______
Case Study 6
Fred K. is a 50-year-old married man who developed a marked contracture of his left hand, and a partial paralysis of his arm. He held his arm bent in front of him, as if it was in a sling, and his fingers were curled inward toward the palm of his hand. He could raise his arm to the level of his shoulder, and there was a slight movement in his fingers.
The symptoms came on suddenly, and before he was referred for psychological treatment, the patient had undergone medical and neurological work-ups by local physicians as well as by specialists at Rochester, Cleveland, Baltimore, and Boston. Many different diagnoses were made, and many medical treatments were tried, but the patient did not respond, and the symptoms remained unaltered.
What disorder does Fred have? ______Why do you think he has it? ______
______
Case Study 7
Al, age 32, has been ordered by the court to have a series of psychological tests. Because he is under an arrest warrant, he is placed on the locked unit of the community hospital’s psychiatric ward.
Al has been picked up by the police 10 times since age 18 for muggings, petty larceny, possession of marijuana, and other infractions of the law. He has spent most of the past 10 years inprison or on probation. He has had many jobs when he can find them. He has had many girlfriends, but the relationships have all been superficial. He has recently been involved in an automobile accident, for which he was responsible and in which he was driving under the influence of alcohol. As a result of the accident, a man and woman were sent to the hospital with multiple fractures and abrasions. He demonstrates no remorse for any of his past behaviors, including the auto accident. In fact, he continues to state, “I haven’t done anything wrong!”
What disorder does Al have? ______Why do you think he has it? ______
______
Case Study 8
Janet, age 29, and the mother of a 6 year old girl and an 8 year old boy, has come to a mental health center because her husband told her he would leave her if she didn’t get some help. She says her “nerves are shot”. When asked to explain, she states that she likes everything to be “in order” and cleans her housed from “top to bottom” every day. She explains that she can’t leave the house without checking and rechecking locks on all the doors and window. Sometimes the routine takes most of an hour before she feels satisfied enough to leave the house. We seldom go out anymore, because my husband says it’s not worth the effort and that I’m driving everybody crazy.
What disorder does Janet have? ______Why do you think she has it? ______
______
Case Study 9
Jerry, age 23, dropped out of college and is living at home with his parents. He has become progressively withdrawn and suspicious. His mother reports that he talks to himself all the time. He doesn’t bathe or have his hair cut; he wears dirty clothes. He takes his food to his room and eats alone.
One night, his father went to Jerry’s room and told him he was going to have to straighten up or get out. Jerry got angry, picked up a baseball bat and started swinging it at his father. Jerry’s mother called the police who came and took Jerry away in handcuffs. The police had Jerry admitted to the local hospital psychiatric unit. He continues to talk to himself and tilts his head to the side, as if listening to something. He is very distracted; his statements are loose associations.
What disorder does Jerry have? ______Why do you think he has it? ______
______