Running Head: DIAGNOSTIC OF M.

KIDDER

Diagnostic Assessment of Margot Kidder

Margot Kidders Bio-Psycho-Social Model

DIAGNOSTIC OF M. KIDDER

Possible Psychological Factors

-mood swings
-suicide attempt in her teens
-nervous breakdown

Possible Biological Factors

-family may have possible history
with mental illness
-one of her parent may possibly have
bipolar disorder
-possible head injury from car
accident

Possible Social Factors

-substance abuse
-no stability
-stress cause by 3 years of work
erased (stop eating & sleeping)

Margot Kidders Bio-Psycho-Social Model Details

DIAGNOSTIC OF M. KIDDER

Once famous actress for playing the role of Lois Lane from Superman, Margot Kidder
have widely been known for going mad and was later on diagnosed with bipolar disorder. While
there are not many biological factors admitted that could contribute to her illness since there are
not many information known to the public on her family personal lives. Though statistically
speaking for bipolar disorder, there are usually a family history with mental illness and one of the
subjects parent have bipolar disorder as well. In 1990, Kidder was in a serious car crash which
could result in a head injury which possibly contribute to the biological factor of her illness.
A multitude of possible psychological factors could contribute to Kidders illness, some
that shows itself in the early part of her life before she was diagnosed. One of the first factor that
display itself in Kidder occurred in her teen years where she had multiple suicide attempts. At the
age of 14, after a breakup, Kidder swallowed a handful of codeine pills in an attempt for death
(Reed, 1996). In her early 20s, Kidder says that she was referred to a doctor for "what are
politely called mood swings" (Poole, 2002) and never trusted their approaches on solving her
mood swing. She said that "Trying to help someone who suffers from a surfeit of feeling by
encouraging them to let out more feelings is absurd," (Reed, 1996). The most notorious
occurrence that revealed to the whole world about Kidders bipolar disorder was her nervous
breakdown where she left her home, faked her death, and physically alter her appearance by
cutting her hair (Briarwood, 2015) and was later found in a cardboard box that the homeless used
by the police.
Possible social factors that contribute to Kidders diagnose of having a bipolar disorder
include substance abuse, not having any stability for a long time, and stress cause by the loss of
three years of work. From a young age, because of her father work, Kidder had to move schools
multiple time until she reached the point of attending eleven schools in twelve years (Briarwood,

DIAGNOSTIC OF M. KIDDER

2015). Even in her adults years, Kidder had three marriage that all ended in divorce (Purse,
2015) which shows how changes occurred throughout her life and no stability through the years
which could contribute to her illness. The event that started her stress was when Kidder was
writing her biography on her computer for three years which was accidently erased by a
computer virus which seems to be the trigger for the start of her nervous breakdown where she
stops eating and sleeping while thinking that the CIA are after her and her ex-husband are out to
killed her (Poole, 2002). In the car crash of 1990 which left her partially paralyzed, Kidder went
through a back operation for a herniated disk in 1992 which restore her ability to walk. But
because of the pain she was in, she eventually developed a addiction to pills and alcohol (Reed,
1996).

Diagnostic Assessment

DIAGNOSTIC OF M. KIDDER

Assessment of: Margot Kidder

I.

Possible Clinical Disorder: Bipolar Disorder

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder causes uncharacteristic shifts in mood, energy, activity levels and

ability to carry out daily tasks.

People with bipolar disorder experienced unusually intense emotional states,
called mood episodes ranging from: manic episode, depressive episode, or
mixed state
Symptoms of a manic episode
o An overly long period of feeling high or an overly
happy or outgoing mood
In a 2011 interview by Actress Lynne Griffin, she
mention how Working with Margot Kidder and
people like that was really eye-opening because she
was always very outgoing.
o Extreme irritability
After three years of her biography vanished, Kidder
was frustrated and fearful as she flew to L.A. to take
her computer to a data-retrieval company (Reed,
1996).
o Talking fast, jumping from one idea to another, having
racing thoughts
In an interview by Poole in 2002, Kidder was
described as someone who has no trouble holding
back her opinions. Forthright and highly intelligent,
she darts from subject to subject, getting caught up

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in lengthy explanations of complex scientific
theories.
o Being unusually distracted
No evidence was found.
o Increasing activities, such as talking on multiple new
projects
As an actress, Kidder is always finding new roles to
play. According to IMDB list of Kidders works,
rarely does a year go by since she started acting is
there a TV production not having Kidder name in its
cast.
o Being overly restless
In an article published by People in 1996, Kidder
apparently entered, as she did every two years or
so, a period of intense creative ferment: a manic
state, in which she sometimes wrote for 10 to 12
hours a day.
o Sleeping little or not being tired
Kidder once said in an article by People that she had
no desire to sleep when she went into a manic state
where she would keep on writing since she was full
of ideas.
o Having an unrealistic belief in your abilities
[Kidder] believed that her first husband, novelist
Thomas McGuane, was in cahoots with the CIA
who were trying to kill her because her book was
powerful enough to change the world (Lee, 2012).
o Behaving impulsively and engaging in pleasurable highrisk behaviors

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In 1996, Kidder started speeding up, chain smoking,
drinking coffee and staying up around the clock, all
of which are the beginning of high-risk behaviors

(Purse, 2015).
Symptoms of depressive episode
o An overly long period of feeling sad or hopeless
In 1990, Kidder suffered a serious car crash where
she couldnt work for two years, was partially
paralyzed and went bankrupt. This period of time
was one of despair and hardship for Kidder
(Roberts, 2005).
o Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, including sex
No evidence found.
o Feeling overly tired or slowed down
In the 1970s, Kidder spent three years as a
housewife, looking after her daughter Maggie and
was not acting though she eventually did get back
into the scene (Briarwood, 2015).
o Having problems concentrating, remembering, and
making decisions
No evidence found.
o Being restless or irritable
During Kidders biggest breakdown, she left her
house, had no money, and recall that she just took
off running (Reed, 1996).
o Changing eating, sleeping, or other habits
In an article published 2002 by The Telegraph, after
the computer virus had wiped her work away,
Kidder stopped eating and sleeping (Poole, 2002).
o Thinking of death or suicide, or attempting suicide

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As a teen, Kidder was already experiencing
moments of suicidal depression where her first
suicidal attempt was at the age of 14 where she

II.

swallowed a handful of codeine pills (Reed, 1996).

Possible Co-morbid Diagnose: Borderline Personality Disorder
Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder
Kidder has actually been diagnosed as having paranoia, but to clearly define this

personality disorder, it is more likely borderline personality disorder.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illness marked by
unstable moods, behavior, and relationship.
o Extreme reaction to abandonment, whether real or
perceived
o A pattern of intense and stormy relationship with
family, friends, and loved ones, often veering from
extreme closeness and love to extreme dislike or anger
Have three marriage (one lasted six days) that all
ended in divorce
o Distorted and unstable self-image or sense of self, which
can result in sudden changes in feelings, opinion, ect.
o Impulsive and often dangerous behaviors
Substance abuse, drinking
o Recurring suicidal behaviors or threats or self-harming
behavior
Multiple suicide in teens
o Intense highly changeable moods, with each episode
lasting from a few hours to a few days
o Chronic feelings of emptiness and/or boredom
o Inappropriate, intense anger or problems controlling
anger
o Having stress-related paranoid thoughts or severs
dissociative symptoms

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First ex-husband working with CIA wanted to kill

III.

her
Relevant General Medical Condition
Aside from the car accident which resulted in Kidder being partially paralyzed which was
eventually solved by a surgery she went through, there are no other none medical

IV.

V.

condition that affected Kidder.

Psychosocial and Environmental Problems
Primary support group related to social environment
Educational problems
Occupational problems
Housing problems
Economic problems
Access to health care services
Interaction with the legal system/crime
Other psychosocial or environmental problems
Global Assessment of Functioning:

Treatment

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References
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0452288/bio
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/12/29/1040511254666.html
http://bipolar.about.com/cs/celebs/a/margotkidder.htm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3586893/Curse-Its-the-luck-of-Superman.html
http://www.terrortrap.com/interviews/lynnegriffin/
http://bipolar.about.com/cs/celebs/a/margotkidder.htm

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