Case Studies | Abnormal Psychology *Editable

After teaching about the different categories of psychological disorders I allow the students time to read different case studies. The students write the symptoms and make a possible diagnosis. Most multiple choice questions and free response questions are application based so it is important to give the students practice for application. The case studies are based on real clinician notes from a Abnormal Psychology textbook. Below is an example of a case study included:

William: At first I didn’t notice the change. Then things got worse. I always hated waking up, but slowly it was turning into something deeper; it was like I didn’t want to wake up, and more like I couldn’t. I didn’t feel tired, but I had no energy. I didn’t feel sleepy, but I would have welcomed sleep with open arms. I had the sensation of a huge weight, invisible but gigantic, pressing down on me, almost crushing me into the bed and pinning me there.

Symptoms:

Possible Diagnosis: