Psychology Case Studies
1. You see Jill (age 24) in the emergency room of a hospi- bipolar
disorder
tal where her parents have brought her for evaluation.
They are worried because she is giving
away all of her possessions and says she is
planning to move to Seattle so she can "save
the world." Her parents say
that she has hardly been sleeping at all, but she
seems very energetic. They say she has
appeared to be "in a frenzy" lately. When you
interview Jill you notice that she speaks very
rapidly. It is hard to get her to be quiet long
enough for you to ask questions. She seems
agitated, and has difficulty sitting still.
2. Morris has been referred to you for depressive disorder
psychotherapy following a suicide attempt.
When you interview him he is very teary. He
speaks slowly and looks down at the ground
as he speaks. He reports difficulty in falling
asleep and staying asleep for the past
month. Morris states that he hasn't had much
of an appetite and has lost 15 pounds. He
reports that things he used to like just don't
seem enjoyable anymore, and he thinks that life
is not worth living. Morris doesn't expect
things
to improve in the future, which is why he tried to generalized anxiety
kill himself. disor-
3. Amy, age 38, is a worrier. She is restless,
irritable and
has difficulty concentrating. She worries that she wor- der
ries so much and isn't always sure what it is
1/
9
, Psychology Case Studies
that she is worried about. She can't let her
husband or children leave the house without
making them call her regu- larly to reassure
her that they are ok. Her husband
is growing weary of her fretting. Her children can't
2/
9
1. You see Jill (age 24) in the emergency room of a hospi- bipolar
disorder
tal where her parents have brought her for evaluation.
They are worried because she is giving
away all of her possessions and says she is
planning to move to Seattle so she can "save
the world." Her parents say
that she has hardly been sleeping at all, but she
seems very energetic. They say she has
appeared to be "in a frenzy" lately. When you
interview Jill you notice that she speaks very
rapidly. It is hard to get her to be quiet long
enough for you to ask questions. She seems
agitated, and has difficulty sitting still.
2. Morris has been referred to you for depressive disorder
psychotherapy following a suicide attempt.
When you interview him he is very teary. He
speaks slowly and looks down at the ground
as he speaks. He reports difficulty in falling
asleep and staying asleep for the past
month. Morris states that he hasn't had much
of an appetite and has lost 15 pounds. He
reports that things he used to like just don't
seem enjoyable anymore, and he thinks that life
is not worth living. Morris doesn't expect
things
to improve in the future, which is why he tried to generalized anxiety
kill himself. disor-
3. Amy, age 38, is a worrier. She is restless,
irritable and
has difficulty concentrating. She worries that she wor- der
ries so much and isn't always sure what it is
1/
9
, Psychology Case Studies
that she is worried about. She can't let her
husband or children leave the house without
making them call her regu- larly to reassure
her that they are ok. Her husband
is growing weary of her fretting. Her children can't
2/
9
