PSYC3122 Abnormal Psychology: Diagnosis & CBT Case Formulation

This case study examines the psychiatric disorder of a 15-year-old girl named Claire, who suffers from long-standing shyness and anxiety. The report discusses her symptoms, including anxiety episodes, dizziness, and difficulty speaking in social situations. It applies the 4Ps framework (Predisposing, Precipitating, Perpetuating, and Protective factors) to understand the psychological, biological, and social factors contributing to Claire's condition. The case formulation utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles to identify Claire's problematic thoughts, behaviors, and emotional responses. The analysis suggests interventions based on cognitive restructuring and behavioral techniques to help Claire overcome her anxiety and improve her overall well-being. The document is a student contribution and is available on Desklib, which offers a range of study tools and resources for students.

Psychology.

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY.............................................................................................................................3
Diagnosis................................................................................................................................3
Formulation............................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
The term psychology is generally a scientific study of both mind and behavior as well.
In this, it can effectively involve the study of both conscious and an unconscious
phenomenon, containing the thoughts and feelings of an individual (Benitez, Cool & Scotti,
2018). An abnormality among people is generally a nonconformity from its ideal mental
well-being. It is mainly a branch of psychology generally concerned with emotional as well
as mental disorders like phobias, anxiety, depression as well as the delays in brain
development (Umbrasas, 2019). In this report, it will cover a case study associated with
psychiatric disorder within a patient named Claire, who is having a long-standing shyness. In
this, there is also a discussion about her issues containing signs and symptoms that she is
suffering from such as depression, anxiety and so on. In addition to this, there is also a
discussion about the four P’s associated with the provided case study to identify the
psychological, biological as well as the social factors which can contribute towards the
raising issues with Claire.
MAIN BODY
Psychiatric disorder is generally a mental problem that is diagnosed by a mental well-
being professional which greatly disturbs the moods, thinking as well as behaviors and it can
seriously enhance the risk of disability, death, pain and a loss of independence. Across world,
there are various people who has been identified by the psychiatric disorder having the signs
and symptoms such as depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, personality disorder
and so on. The person who is having such illness can troubles in understanding a particular
situation, containing confused personality, having strong feeling of fear, guilt, and worry,
involving excessive anger, violence and many more.

Diagnosis
As per the case scenario of Claire, she is a 15-year-old girl having a long-standing
shyness. Her mother brought her to the psychiatric professional to help her out from her
major illness. Claire said that she is constantly feeling tensed and has added episodes of
anxiety since past few years (Silverman, Goldman & Huey, 2019). She has also involved
episodes of dizziness and crying and was not able to speak in any particular situation that has
happened around her. She involves difficulty in speaking, has hesitation to walk in a
restaurant as well as she also not able to order something in a restaurant as she involve a fear
of being humiliated by other people. She is also being bullied by her friends which makes her
more trouble as she is not able to share this thing with anyone. Her shyness is generally a
major trouble for her behavior. It is diagnosed from her condition that she has severe level of
anxiety. Anxiety is a natural reaction of human being which contains the mind and body.
Anxiety can serve as an essential basic survival function, is an alarm system which is
activated whenever Claire can perceive some fear or threat. Anxiety disorders are specifically
the mental well-being conditions which can include a high amount of nervousness, fear,
worry or dread. In case of Claire, she felt nervous while making conversation with her friends
and other people.
Case Formulation
What made things vulnerable
in first place.
shyness of Claire and her
hesitation.
Triggers for the most
recent episode.
the things that
triggers such as her
peers or schoolmates
make fun of her and
her educator aslo
ignore this things.
teacher also did not
take actions against
the students.
"The problem"
Claire is not able to share her
things, emotions with other
people. she has episode of
anxiety, fear and dizziness as
well.
Things that keep the problem
going.
The things that continue to
cause this issue are things that
greatly upset Claire and such
incidents as she is unable to
share with her family. Claire's
mother is also angry and
fearful of her mother and
does not even share feelings
with her mother.

Biological Psychological Social
Predisposing factors Claire’s mother is
loud, aggressive and
little frightening.
Her father is having
shy personality.
Exposure to
inadequate care and
being bullied by
peers making more
anxiety levels.
Experiencing the
physical, emotional
and social distress.
Lack of support
from peers making
her illness more
adverse.
Precipitating factors Feeling of isolation
from home, old
school as well.
She is not able to
venture into the
public spaces and
felt more
embarrassing that
she is not enough
capable to develop
an independence.
Her educators also
did not interfere
when her peers were
bullying her.
Perpetuating factors Involving both
physical and
psychological
episodes of anxiety
and dizziness.
Claire has limited
support from social.
Her friends are not
supportive for her as
they all can bully her

which make her
condition more
worse.
Protective factors Claire’s mother
made Initial contact
psychologist to her
out from her
psychological
distress.
Claire has
supportive parents
who was trying to
help her from her
illness.

By understanding the cognitive behavioral therapy, it is easily identified about the things that
actually bother Claire such as her episodes of dizziness, anxiety and involving fear of humiliation and
many more. These such issues generally arise just because she is not able to open up with her friends
and family. For an individual it is quite important to share their feelings and emotions with their loved
ones as it can effectively reduce the stress level (Hotani & Hotani, 2018). in order to overcome her
illness, the psychiatric can help Claire to involve her in specific frameworks such as cognitive,
behaviourist, psychodynamic as well as the cognitive neurosciences framework. Through having
awareness about such framework, it can help Claire to alter her problematic thoughts, her beliefs and
can enable her learn the positive behaviours that can effectively help her to overcome her anxiety
level. through applying these such behaviours, she can feel independent and live her life healthier.
Cognitive
behavioura
l theory
FORMUL
ATION
THOUGHTS
Claire feel trapped as
well as incompetent. she
is always been shy and
did not share her troubles
with her parents also.
BEHAVIOUR
she has close type
personality. she is unable to
speak outside of her school
classes and home in any
situation.
EMOTIONS
she does not able to speak
about her emotions to
anyone which makes her feel
depressed and anxious. she is
being bullied by her peers in
schools and this thing
troubles her alot as her
teacher also did not
interefere in her bully.
BODILY SENSATIONS
she feels so anxious and
often involve episodes of
dizziness and crying. she has
a shy type personality and
involve a fear of being
humilated by stangers.

CONCLUSION
From the above discussion, it is analyzed that psychological distress can causes various
problems in an individual life. In the above discussion, there is a about a case study of Claire which
involves psychiatric disorders and she is not able to life her life independent. Her parents seek help of
a psychiatric but she is quite reluctant to share her emotions with other also. Through having
knowledge of effective frameworks, she is able to improve her condition more appropriately and feel
independent.

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