You will write a diagnostic evaluation of a fictional character from a well-known movie, book, or television program that has a diagnosis covered in the class. Please write the paper in narrative format, using complete sentences, NOT bullet points. An outline will be provided on Blackboard; please label each section of the paper as the outlines suggests and address all of the information in the outline. The paper must conform to APA standards in terms of citations, references, and formatting (though no abstract is needed). Papers should be 5-7 pages. It is up to you to choose a case with enough complexity to fulfill the length requirement. All citations must be fully referenced. Do not reference what you did not cite. Please refer to the current edition of the American Psychological Association Publication Manual for further information on APA citations.
i. There is a lot of information on the internet to help you choose a case, for example:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_featuring_mental_disorders
Diagnostic Evaluation Guidelines:
1) Please follow this format very closely on your final paper.
2) Please use the major headings in your paper, and try to address all of the components for each section.
3) If you do not have the information in question, you can state that you are not aware of the client's current status regarding that area (though you should not have to write that very often).
4) If the book, movie, or TV show does not provide you with much information about your character, it may be wise to select a character from another source that provides more detail.
5) It is also permissible to take some creative license and fill in the blanks if you feel it will bring your character to life.
6) For this reason, I ask that you only choose fictional (not real) characters. Please do not choose a book/show/movie that portrays th life of a real person, alive or deceased.
7) While it is helpful to report some information about the client's family and friends, please avoid the mistake of over-analyzing a family member. Keep the focus on the client.
8) I DO NOT need a plot summary. Only share what is relevant to the client's diagnosis and DO NOT start detailing what happened in the movie. I should feel like I am reading about a real person that you met, not about a movie or show.
9) Please follow APA format. Cite sources. Provide a references page. Double space. Etc.
I. Demographic Information:
a. Age
b. Sex
c. Race/Ethnicity
d. Culture
e. Religion
f. Marital/Relationship status
g. Any other pertinent information, but keep this section somewhat short and to-the-point. You will elaborate later.
II. Current Problems/Presenting Problems:
a. Provide a thorough account of the reason client came to see you and/or was brought to you by friends/family. Detail will help here (but do not do a plot summary).
b. Problematic symptoms
i. Frequency of symptoms (how often do they occur?)
ii. Duration of symptoms (how long have they been present?)
iii. Severity of symptoms (how serious are they?)
iv. Symptom triggers (do certain events or situations seem to trigger the symptoms?)
III. Social and Occupational History:
a. Information on family of origin including ethnic/cultural information, where did client grow up? Who did client live with? Were parents married/separated/estranged? Any siblings? Strong ties with Grandparents? Etc.
b. General information on childhood
i. Traumatic events
ii. History of abuse
iii. Notable events
c. Occupational history
i. Current employment
ii. Past employment
iii. Employment struggles/successes
d. Educational history
i. Highest level of education achieved
ii. Educational struggles/successes
e. Current family constellation
i. General information on spouse/partner (remember to focus on your client's symptoms, you are only diagnosing one person; report whatever you think may be impacting your client)
ii. General information on children and close family members
iii. Is client satisfied with current family situation?
IV. Psychiatric History
a. Provide history of mental health diagnoses prior to when you met the client as well as any treatment received
b. Include a family history of psychiatric conditions in this section (if no history state that there is no family history)
V. Medical History
a. Note all medical conditions the client has (these are conditions that are not psychiatric in nature, such as diabetes)
b. Especially for conditions that might impact mental functioning, provide details about treatment, prognosis, etc. For example, is the client managing their diabetes well?
VI. Diagnostic Summary
a. First, summarize the information you obtained in your report in 1-2 paragraphs (hint: focus on what most directly connects to your diagnosis)
b. Explain each diagnosis you made and why
i. Specifically list which criteria from the DSM the client meets
c. Explain any other diagnoses you considered and explain why you ultimately ruled them out
d. Provide a brief prognosis is this treatable? Will the client have a good quality of life?
e. Provide a brief treatment plan
i. What type of therapy would be beneficial?
ii. Would you refer this client to a psychiatrist for medication?
iii. Does this client need to be hospitalized immediately?