- Movies with described mental disorder. Give a brief overview in how the movies display the symptoms of the mental health diagnoses.
- Pharmacotherapy and CAM Interventions. List psychotropic/psychoactive drugs and complementary/alternative supplements that may be prescribed as a form of intervention for the described person discussed in your case history. Be specific in discussing what the drug is prescribed for, the side effects and adverse reactions/risks of each drug and supplement. Use the CAM manual attachment for the supplements and search on www.rxlist.com. medicinenet.com, etc. to assist you for the psychoactive meds. You need to list at least 3 supplements and 3 psychotropic/psychoactive drugs
- Psychotherapeutic Interventions as a form of treatment. List at least 3 psychotherapies and discuss each. Include the theorist, researcher, or psychologist etc that coined the intervention.
*Bonus- If you include a PPT in addition to your written case study, you will receive an extra 10 points.
Hypothetical Case Study Example
(Not Intended to Diagnose or Prescribe Medications. Only a Professional Licensed Psychologist/Psychiatrist can Diagnose and Provide Treatment)
Jane Doe is a 37 year old white female who was admitted to a psychiatric acute unit after a severe post-partum depression breakdown a few weeks after the birth of her child. She has a history of abrupt mood swings with psychotic tendencies and a medical diabetes condition.
Her behavior is characterized by withdrawal, inappropriate moods, paranoia, preoccupation with religious ideas, and the insistent belief that she needs to be punished for her sins.
She often times will talk on fixated topics that are inappropriate. Her behavior is asocial with a history of criminal activity. She is unemployed, a single mother of a newborn with no family support system, and not taking care of her chronic diabetes condition. The five axes diagnosis for Jane would be:
Diagnosis (Dx): Schizophrenia—Paranoid Type
Axis I: Schizophrenia, Post-Partum Depression
Axis II: Paranoid Personality Disorder
Axis III: Diabetes
Axis IV: Psychosocial stressor: Birth of Child, Unemployed, and No Family Support
Axis V: GAF: 50
(No cultural factors were evident)
Famous Persons with the described mental illness:
- John Nash: Nobel Prize Winner-Professor (Documented in the Beautiful Mind Movie)
- Lionel Aldridge: Green Bay Packers Defensive End (Paranoid Schizophrenia)
- Vaslov Nijinsky: Dancer (Schizophrenia)
- Brook Shields: Actor (Postpartum Depression)
Movies with the described mental disorders:
- Benny & Joon, 1993 (Topics: Schizophrenia and Family Dynamics)
- The Aviator, 2005 (Topics of Schizophrenia and Paranoia)
- The Caveman’s Valentine, 2001 (Topics of Schizophrenia, Psychosis, and Family Dynamics)
- Conspiracy Theory, 1997 (Topics of Paranoid Schizophrenia)
Pharmacotherapy and CAM Interventions:
- Mind and Body Practice of Yoga or Meditation
- Psychotropics: Anti-Psychotics, Anti-Obsessional
- Alternative Treatment (Tx): DHEA, Omega 3s (Fish Oil)
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
- Folate or Folic Acid for Diabetes
- Ginkgo as an Adjunctive Therapy and neuroprotection with antipsychotics
- Rhodiola Rosea (Golden Root) as neuroprotection with antipsychotics
Psychotherapeutic Interventions:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Form of Cognitive-Relational Perspective/Interpersonal Psychotherapy) developed by theorist, Dr. Aaron Beck
- Rational Emotional Behavior Therapy by Albert Ellis for both Schizophrenia and Diabetes