CONDUCTING CASE STUDY

Conducting Case study 

• Research method and different from other research method
• Different from survey as in survey we receive data on large scale (superficial information) 
•  In-depth study 
• Collection of information in every dimension
•  In-depth study of some group of individual, organization and individuals In clinics, study individuals as client and try to improve psychological condition

Example: Depression case study. We have to enlist the specific causes of depression. identify how we can deal with depression in clinical setting.

Steps of case study

Bio data

•          Age
•          Gender
•          Education
•          Occupation/profession
•          Siblings
•          Birth order
•          Marital status
•          Children
•          Reformat
•          Source of referral
•          Client was referred by
•          Reason for referral: Typical major area that this is disturbed (in statement)

Presenting complaints …...

i)                    Duration

Duration of each symptom is important in order to check the severity; acute, chronic e.g. 2 month head ache ask each and every symptom with duration. Duration is asked because after some duration we are able to diagnose, to understand environmental factor.

ii)                  Verbatum: Write as client is describing.

iii)                Informant: May be client itself or family member

Sign and symptoms:

That we observe, Symptoms duration is very much important.

Family history

•         Social status: Typically explain the class; lower, middle, upper
•         Father: age, education, occupation, nature (personality type e.g. submissive) attitude towards siblings, child and specifically toward the client.
•        Mother: age, education, occupation, nature, temperament (loving, careless etc.)If parents are late then client reaction
•         Emotional attachment
•        Siblings: special relation with siblings
•        General home environment: congenial, strict, relaxed, tighter etc

1)      Family history of psychiatric illness

Any psychological disorder in history; either have or not.

2)      Family history of physical illness: Any severe illness in family

Personal history:

Starts from targeted pregnancy before birth

1.      Pre-natal         2. Parinatal                 3. Postnatal

Early developmental milestone, stages of Emotional and cognitive milestones, liking and disliking habits, leisure time, personality temperaments and moods .

Occupational history:

Depends on the patient weather having job or not. Occupational duration, what is profession chosen by force/ chance/by acceptance, Problems/ satisfied by job, salary. Interactional patterns with colleagues, employees. Switching in profession; weather he/she changes the profession again and again. Switching profession indicates the lack of consistency.

Marital status

When was he/she married. Weather the marriage was arranged or love by the consent of client. Relationship with spouse, emotional bonding, attachment and sexual bonding with spouse, Spouse education and temperament. Weather the client is living in joint, neutral environment, psychosomatic problems may occurs.

Premorbid personality: Personality before the illness. 

Neurotic traits (nail biting, over anxious behavior, indecisiveness, not able to make decision) may be because of shyness, lack of confidence. Neurotic traits also depends on the behavior where to put normal, abnormal reaction to stress, problems tell us about neurotic traits

Maturation

Psyche, physical role change, person is facing physical problem, Moving and transferring from one stage to the other.

Example; hormonal changes in male aggression

History of present illness

Present illness the problem that is being used to treat. Weather visit the doctor, medication, duration and how it effects the symptoms, reaction of family.

Symptom details

1^st episode of illness; Clinical psychologist do not have greatest information

If illness is episodic the problem is same one and take time to solve it

Early depression

psychotic depression then not have concern with earlier treatment

CONCLUSION:

case study is being conducted to identify and having detail evaluation about rare existing phenomena. as its a research method so it also have steps to conduct as taking bio-data,presenting complaints etc.

RELATED TOPICS

clinical psychology further related topics:

1. introduction to clinical psychology

2. etiology and treatment of Autism spectrum disorder

3. concept of normal and abnormal behavior
4. formal and informal assessment
5. etiology and treatment of intellectual disability