In today’s world, stress is inescapable. Stress can be a major factor in physical and psychological illnesses. Stress is closely related to fear, panic, and anxiety. A number of relatively common psychological disturbances share symptoms that include anxiety as a central component. The somatic symptom disorders involve a preoccupation with the body or a medical illness. The dissociative disorders involve an alteration in consciousness or memory such as amnesia or, in an extreme case, the development of multiple personalities as in dissociative identity disorder.

Develop one original fictional case study that portrays a specific diagnosis within the categories of: anxiety, somatic symptom disorders, or dissociative disorders.

The case description must include all of the DSM criteria necessary to diagnose that disorder, but may also include additional symptoms not found within that diagnostic category. Include some demographic background of the fictional case subject. This portion of the assignment should be 1 to 1 ½ pages.

Mental health professionals are often trained in one or more theoretical orientations. Each theoretical orientation provides a specific insight into why a person acts the way he or she does. The theoretical orientation also guides the professional’s choice of treatment options to address the symptoms presented by the individual to be treated. Several theoretical explanations of abnormal behavior have been described in your readings for this module. Some of these are biological, psychodynamic, behavioral, existential, cognitive, and sociocultural.

Identify the treatment approach for your case based upon the theory you have chosen to explain the disorder. Then in 2–3 pages, write your own theoretical analysis of case characteristics in relation to the disorder the case represents

Guidelines for Developing a Case

Review the case studies provided in this course for descriptions of mental illness. Then use the following guidelines to develop your fictitious case. Your case should not name the diagnosis, but should describe the symptoms that are present for the individual in the case.

A case may include some or all of the following elements in varying degrees:

Presenting problem: Why is the person presenting for treatment? How severe is the problem? How does this issue interfere with the person’s family, work, friendships, leisure activities, and relationships? What has the person done to try to solve the problem and with what success?

History of problem: How long have these issues been experienced? Have there been times when the

Problem was absent? When did the problem first occur?

Prior treatment history: Has this issue ever been treated before? If so, how and when? Have any

psychotropic medications been prescribed?

Medical history: Does the person have any physical illnesses or disabilities? Has the person ever been

hospitalized for medical illness or has the person been operated upon? Does the person take any

medications for medical issues?

Family history: Whom does the person live with? Is the family intact? How many siblings are there? Are

there any step-siblings or half-siblings? Are there relatives who have been diagnosed or treated for

mental illness or substance abuse? Do any family members have any significant medical disease or

illness?

Developmental history: Was the prenatal and childhood development normal? Were there any

remarkable issues to note?

Educational history: How far has the person gone in school? Did the person experience any academic or behavioral problems during school?

Work history: Does the person have a career? How stable is the work history? Has the person

experienced problems with coworkers or supervisors?

Legal history: Has the person ever been arrested or served time in prison? If so, what were the charges?

Sexual relationship history: Is the person sexually active? Has the person ever experienced domestic

violence? Has there been a divorce? What is the identified sexual orientation?