Case Study

Humanities

Please review the following case studies:

(300 words)

1) John: His primary physician referred John to a clinical psychologist after several episodes of sudden violence and rage. John claimed to have limited or no memory of the incidents. His mother described him as typically being a shy, quiet, and even withdrawn adolescent. This was the 15-year-old’s first psychological evaluation. During one of John’s episodes, his anger was so out of control that he broke dishes, punched holes in the wall, and did hundreds of dollars of damage to his room. His mother worried that John’s anger might soon turn to violence against himself or others. She further described him as having low energy, sometimes being sullen, and wanting to sleep a lot. He was unhappy in school, falling far behind his classmates, and in danger of repeating the ninth grade.

2) Nick: Nick is a 10-year-old boy whose pediatrician has referred him for a psychological evaluation because of concerns about his behavior at school and at home. Although his teacher thinks he is smart and capable of more than he is currently demonstrating, she has suggested that he be evaluated for ADHD. Nick’s academic performance has declined, and the teacher complains that he is impulsive and has difficulties focusing. His parents report that “homework is a nightmare” because Nick cannot sit still and becomes very frustrated when he does not know how to solve problems. Nightly battles over homework have become the norm. Lately, Nick has been referring to himself as “stupid,” and he shows poor motivation when it comes to schoolwork.

After reviewing the above case studies, please watch this video about changes from the DSM-IV to DSM-5:

Then, please answer the following for your main post:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the new DSM-5 formulation? How might conceptualizations and diagnoses change regarding the above case studies?