Psychological Disorders and Therapy Project

Part A—You will be assigned two psychological disorders that you will need to write a short biography of a client experiencing symptoms of each disorder. Please come to class on Wednesday, 4/9 with your two prepared client biographies...typed, 12pt, single-spaced, 1-1.5 pages.

Part B—You will conduct a psychological analysis on two biographies written by your classmates. You will be assigned two clients which you must diagnose using correct psychological procedures. Your diagnosis is due Monday, 4/12.

Part C—Suggest two different types of psychotherapy and one type of biological therapy for each client. Discuss the potential advantages and disadvantages of each method of therapy. Therapy suggestions are due Thursday, 4/17.

Full points will be awarded for careful diagnosis according to diagnostic criteria provided and an in depth analysis of the most effective treatments for that particular disorder supported with evidence from the textbook and resources provided.

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You will diagnose your client according to five axis of the DSM-IV.

Axis 1: Clinical Syndromes (if you are diagnosing a developmental or personality disorder you need only to provide evidence as to why you do not believe your client is suffering from a clinical disorder)

  • Identify the illness from which the individual suffers. Include evidence from the individual’s life to support your justification of diagnosis.

Axis 2: Developmental Disorders and Personality Disorders (if you are diagnosing a clinical disorder you need only provide evidence as to why your client is not displaying symptoms of a developmental or personality disorder)

  • Are there long-standing personality issues or developmental problems that could be contributing to the problem rather than a diagnosis of mental illness?

Axis 3: Physical Conditions

  • Medical conditions that may be affecting the individual’s behavior

Axis 4: Severity of Psychosocial Stressors

  • Social or Environmental stressors that the individual has recently experienced.

NOTE: for axis 1-4 do not feel the need to write something if there is nothing from the case study to corroborate the classification...in that case simply write none. If however, there is a diagnosis of, for example a medical condition, include the evidence from the case study to corroborate your diagnosis.

Axis 5: Global Assessment of Functioning (GAS scale) from 1-100 where 1 represents total dysfunction and 100 represents the highest level of functioning.

100—Superior functioning in a wide range of activities

90—Absent of minimal symptoms—good functioning in all areas

80—Symptoms transient and expectant reactions to psychosocial stressors

70—Some mild symptoms or some difficulty in social, occupational or school functioning, but generally functioning

pretty well.

60—Moderate symptoms or difficulty in social, occupational or school functioning

50—Serious symptoms or impairment in social, occupational or school functioning

40—Someimpairment in reality, testing or communication or major impairments in family relations, judgment,

thinking or mood.

30—Behavior considerably influenced by delusions or hallucinations, serious impairment in communication or

judgment of ability to function in nearly all areas.

20—Some danger of hurting self or others, occasional failure to maintain minimal personal hygiene or gross

impairment with communication

10—Persistant danger to severely hurting self or others