Case Formulation

Question 1

4 Elements used to identify abnormal behaviour.

1 - S
3(4) - D’s

Answer 1

Statistical rarity

Deviance - norm violation
Distress - causes distress
Dysfunction - maladaptive-ness, life impact
Duration - how long?

Question 2

Definition of clinical significance

Answer 2

The disorder causes substantial impairment in social, occupational or other areas of functioning

Question 3

DSM - 5

Definition of mental disorder

Answer 3

Clinically significant disturbance in - cognition

• emotional regulation
• behaviour

Maybe associated with

• distress
• disability in social, occupational or other important domains

Excludes

• culturally approved stressor
• socially deviant behaviour
• conflicts between individual and society

Question 4

Theoretical perspectives of mental disorders (7)

Answer 4

• biological
• psychoanalytical
• behaviourism
• cognitive
• cognitive-behavioural
• humanistic
• socio-cultural

Question 5

DSM advantages

Answer 5

Sum up key features of an illness
Disclosure of righteous use
Make possible predictions
Basis for treatments
Eliminates other disorders
A basis to conduct research 
Knows what it is; disclosure of righteous use, does not say anything about causation, requires discretion of professional psychologist

Question 6

DSM - disadvantages

Answer 6

Complicated to use
Induces stigma
No causal explanations
Illnesses are culturally exclusive
Symptoms of the same condition can vary drastically
Symptoms of different conditions can overlap
Attempts to apply objectivism to theoretical concept (mental illness)- a person has a disorder because of a range of symptoms - not symptoms because they have a disorder