Everything You Need To Know About Writing A

Psychology Case Study

Case studies are often part of college psychology curricula due to their importance in the mental
health field. Case studies focus on an individual and his psychological issues, allowing mental
health practitioners to tailor an intervention to the subject and gain information that may not be
found in experimental psychology for ethical reasons.
Writing a psychology case study can seem to be an onerous task. Not only do you have to worry
about the quality of your writing, but also the various sources, types, diagnosis and theoretical
approaches as well. However, the following will provide you with a step by step guide to help you
understand exactly what is necessary.
What is a Psychology Case Study?
In most cases, a psychology case study focuses on one individual. However, there are also times
when it can be necessary to include multiple cases. In the case of undergraduate study, it is very
common for case study writing to center around a character from a book or a film for example, the
character Hannibal Lecter.
By analyzing and discussing all aspects of your subjects life, behavior, thought processes and
history, it is possible to discover any patterns and possible causes as to why they exhibit the morals,
rituals and other aspects that deviate from what is considered accepted behavior.
Throughout history psychological case studies have been accepted as the most accurate way of
investigating individuals who show psychiatric and psychological abnormalities that deviate from
what we consider being normal human behavior. Looking back at, probably, the most famous of
all examples Freuds work and theories that we still use to this day were very much developed via
his use of in-depth case studies.
Tips for Making More Accurate Diagnosis
Remember that every type of medical case study will not only focus on one set of symptoms. The
human psyche is huge and complex subject, and before you begin to formulate any diagnosis it will
be necessary to study the complete case file, and understand how the different symptoms portrayed
all interlink for that particular study. This is extremely important, because all quality case study
writing only comes to diagnosis after analyzing all the facts.
The nature of this kind of study means that your subjects might not always tell the truth. Failure to
spot this can result in false diagnosis. However, lies in themselves are a powerful diagnostic tool,
and you will need to develop a healthy skepticism to be able to understand the underlying
information these untruths can provide.
Use all possible information to formulate your diagnosis. This should include the case history,
legal history (if applicable), patient interview(s) along with any relevant information you can find in
books or on the Internet.
Finally, you not only need to acknowledge any symptoms that are consistent throughout the study,
but also note any inconsistencies. These can be used to add weight to your final diagnosis.
Sources for a Psychology Case Study
What is important to understand about how to write a case study of this type, is that the study itself is
not a research method. The case study is literally the result of bringing together of all the
information necessary to come to diagnosis. In order to produce a psychology case study that is as
in-depth and accurate as possible, first you should gather a comprehensive profile. The information
youll need to collect will include:
- Official records: This should include any accessible records such as employment, school and
medical records, along with any test results that may have been carried out.
- Personal notes: Any personal notes the client might have written such as a diary or letters,
photographs and official documentation such as their clinical notes and other professional appraisal
reports (to include court documents when applicable).
- Client Interview: One of the most effective methods of finding out more about your study is the
interview. Along with a direct interview, also consider speaking to the persons family, friends,
work colleagues, teachers, employers and anybody who knows the person well. Plan your questions
in advance, and try to use open questions, rather than closed or rhetorical ones. This way it allows
the answers you receive to give you a genuine insight into the person, rather than hearing anything
that you may have already pre-conceived about them.
- Observation: Watching the person when they are unaware of scrutiny is an excellent way of
gaining a psychological profile. This can be performed by an individual, but it is more common for
direct observation to take place by a group of people. It is important to remember that nonverbal
communication is essential and must be documented.
If you gather your information that way, it will give credence to your eventual diagnosis.
Theoretical Approaches
Once you have covered all the background for your case study the background, description and
diagnosis, it is necessary to move onto various interventions that could be used to help the person.
This analysis can be made using different theoretical approaches. You might be instructed to use
just one of the theoretical approaches, or you might need to examine and analyze the benefits of
multiple approaches, i.e., an eclectic approach. You should take into account the type of case study
youre writing. For instance, a schizophrenia case study may benefit from different theories than
other studies of a different psychological cause.
The following are the commonly known and used theoretical approaches to producing various
interventions that can be used to treat the patient.
Humanistic approach
This approach emphasizes the study of the person as a whole. Therefore the study looks at the
behavior of the person not only through the therapists (or case study writers) eyes, but also
attempts to look at it through the eyes of the case study subject as well. By determining the patients
feelings and self-image, a treatment plan can be evolved and put into place.
Cognitive-behavioral approach
This approach is very often used by therapists who treat patients with disorders such as mood and
eating disorders, along with other conditions such as schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder. It will be
necessary to take into account the patients personal musings such as diary entries, beliefs and how
they react to various events and interaction with others in order to find the best approach to
treatment.
Psychoanalytic approach
Freud championed this particular approach, which takes a look at how the unconscious mind has an
influence on behavior, and how this can be used to determine appropriate treatment.
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
This theory has a focus on how your case study individual or group makes sense of a particular
phenomenon or occurrence. It is likely that whatever this event is, that it will have high personal
significance for the subject or subjects of your study.
Grounded theory
This method relies on first collecting the data about the subject or events, and from here integrates
this into broad categories. Then an effort is made to find out the relationship between these
categories thus further understanding the issues and defining a treatment plan.
Types of Psychology Case Study
In general, a case study comes under one of two types: Prospective or retrospective.
Differentiating the two:
Prospective case study writing involves the observance of the client, or a group of
people. An example of a prospective case study might be to watch a group of people
with a various disorder over a defined period of time (this could be weeks, months or
even years). By observing and documenting any changes, and the differences
between the individuals, it will be possible to see how the disorder progresses and if
there are any differences caused by age, sex, social standing, education etc.
In the case of a retrospective case study, your information comes from looking at
documented cases in other words, the historical information that is available. Lets
take the same example a particular disorder. This disorder is the outcome, but you
would then work backwards, defining any particular factors that might (or might not)
have contributed to why these people contracted the problem in the first place. If a
person is born with some disorder, you could use hereditary factors to see if you
could define any particular factors in the parents or grandparents that might have led
to them being born with that particular condition.
Psychology Case Study: Strength and Limitations
Case study writing is an extremely valid tool, but it does have its limitations. Some of the plus
points are that they are very often used to explore new ground. Because a case study is looking
deeply into how various different factors intertwine to create an outcome, then can actively help
therapists develop new ideas for treatment. In particular, they are extremely useful for those who
practice holistic approaches towards psychological cases.
However, a case study has an awful lot of room for the personal opinions of the researcher. No two
people will analyze the same information in exactly the same way so because of this, care must be
taken to understand that it is possible for author bias to creep in. And it should be appreciated that
because each case study only deals with a particular event, it cannot be taken as a given that any
conclusion drawn could apply to a seemingly similar case.
However, as long as these limitations are taken into account, case study writing can be an extremely
effective method of research.
Instructions:
Preparing a Case Study
Read the case study assignment guidelines thoroughly. Highlight the requirements for easy
reference and write down any questions or clarifications you need for the assignment.
Schedule a meeting with the professor of the class or an academic adviser. It's
important to get a meeting as soon as possible to go over any questions you have.
A faculty member is often busy and has several other students to meet with, so
scheduling a one-on-one session will ensure you a place in her appointment book.
Meet with the professor or faculty adviser as scheduled. Be prepared with questions,
and ask for any resources he can give you. Present your subject and your plan for
executing the case study. Do not end the meeting until you are confident that you
understand every aspect of what will be required of you in performing your case
study.
Prepare the informed consent paperwork. Both the U.S. Office for Human Research
Protections and the American Psychological Association have guidelines to ensure
the rights and safety of any participant of a psychological study. The subject should
be told in writing the purpose of the research, any risks associated with his
participation, the level of confidentiality in the study, incentives for participation, and
who to contact with any questions or concerns regarding the research. The subject
should also be given the chance to refuse the study once he is given the information.
A signed informed consent indicates he understands the study and their specific role.
Choose the subject of the case study. Students may be allowed to choose a
character from a movie or TV show for a classroom case-study assignment. Higher
level or thesis students are often required to choose a living subject. The subject
should be a willing participant who has signed the informed consent and is able to
take part for the full duration of the study.
Writing the Case Study
1. Prepare a case profile and history on the subject. Record an interview with the
subject and ask questions to gain detailed knowledge about the subject. Start with
classification information, such as name, age, sex, race, and ethnicity. Take into
account their family dynamic (e.g. parents still together, divorced, siblings, etc.),
academic history/performance, criminal history, learning problems, and past or
present drug &/or alcohol dependence. Include questions about their social circle,
how they interacts with others, their life goals, and their accomplishments to date (if
applicable and obtainable).
2. Determine the psychological issue or issues that will be the focus of the case study.
Ask about the current life situation and problems the subject is facing. Have him give
you their perceived problems, how they affect their interactions with others, including
friends, work colleagues, and family. Note any recurring problems the subject has
because of these issues.
3. Describe the determined issues by referencing criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. The DSM-IV is the standard
classification tool used by mental health professionals. It encompasses many
different fields of study and provides descriptive text to help you pinpoint your
diagnosis.
4. Choose your intervention approach. Some professors will assign an intervention
approach based on the class they're assigning the case study for. A cognitive behavior
class may expect an intervention based on helping the individual adapt to the
environment by shaping their perception of the world around his diagnosed behaviors.
A psychoanalytic intervention, in contrast, would require treatment based on dream
analysis or free association. Some professors may allow you to choose your own
approach. Others may require multiple intervention approaches in the same case
study.
5. Proofread and edit your case study. Make sure you have formatted correctly
according to the APA guidelines or alternative guidelines that may be assigned by
your professor. Review your work to ensure inclusion of all required sections and
information. Ask a specialized writing tutor or adviser to review your work and offer
feedback on things you may not have noticed in your self-edit. (An APA Cheat Sheet
will be made available to assist non-psychology majors in correct formatting of the
document).
6. Submit the final copy by the deadline. Make sure it is neat and presented according
to class requirements (e.g. bound in a plastic cover, printed on heavy stock paper,
etc.). If required, turn in all notes or recorded sessions with the subject.
7. The paper must be typed, double spaced; no less than 12pt font. The margins must be
1" on all boarder.
8. It is highly advised that you submit samples of your progress periodically throughout
the semester so that you can receive feedback. You will be given periodic deadlines
over the course of the semester. DO NOT wait until the last month to begin writing
this paper.... you will be overwhelmed and guaranteed of losing points due to quality
issues.
9. The total value of this project: 100 points (20% of the total grade). This project
represents the applied half of the final exam. It is not an option. If you do not
complete it, you will lose significant points.