Fiction+and+MI

First, read this for ideas. Then once you pick a character, here is a nice assessment to take as them link

For this project due Tuesday, you are going to pretend that you are a therapist and that a fictitious character is your new client. You can pick anyone in fiction, but it will work best (or rather be more fun) if you think that the person has a mental illness or is well off of neurotypical. No, having superhuman powers or being an Elf is not a mental illness (although Bruce Wayne is an excellent choice.) You are going to be posting this screenplay format dialogue in the discussion section of this page. Feel free to write it elsewhere and them post it here or simply posting a google doc link. You will be turning in a hard copy of the GAF that you will have written all over.

You will be reporting on your session with the individual in screenplay format. Don't choose a group, esp. not a boy band, someone tried to do this on One Direction, it was not OK. If your character is non-verbal, please report their thoughts... If your individual thinks that they are several people, address that. If you don't know what a screenplay is, google it.

Your assignment is to go through the OLD DSM-IV to determine what is going on. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE COMING UP WITH A TREATMENT PLAN! Your job is simply to begin determining what is wrong. Note: Don't sweat the Axes much, just understand that you need to think about the biological issues, developmental issues, etc. You might know what your person has, still go through and evaluate if there are external forces shaping the diagnosis. Here is a handy little summary of about every condition: [|link] and please, when you use sources, always cite in APA format.


 * Axis I** includes all the mental health conditions except personality disorders and mental retardation. If the client does not have a mental health diagnosis that belongs on Axis I, make note of that, also consider that a person could suffer from more than one Axis I disorder.


 * Axis II** is for reporting Mental Retardation and personality disorders.


 * Axis III** is used for reporting any major medical conditions (anything organic or biological) that may be relevant to treatment of the mental health disorder.


 * Axis IV** is used to report psychosocial and environmental factors affecting the person. Some of examples of these factors include: (1) problems with primary support group (divorce); (2) problems with social environment (death of a friend); (3) educational problems; (4) housing problems; (5) economic problems; (6) occupational difficulties; (7) legal difficulties; and (8) transportation difficulties. These are some categories a clinician will look at to see how the client is doing in life situations.


 * Axis V** the Global Assessment of Functioning, is the clinician's best guess of the client’s overall level of functioning or the use of a standardized assessment. NOTE: A GAF of <50 usually indicates significant need for psychiatric residential care, <10 indicates high risk of suicide. See below for full range, but your handout is what you need to fill out for that. Yes, you are filling out the handout just like if you were the therapist seeing your "client" for the first time. My suggestion is to start at the bottom and move up so you can see more easily how the numbers work. Then again, that might just be best for non math folks like myself, who need to see how they gain points rather than how points are lost.

You will set the scene, they have come to you for help in a therapeutic setting. You will create the dialogue and pose the questions. Make no assumptions about their health/well being. Ask questions and create a response that you believe they would provide. Label each section for me so that I can see you covered each Axis. I would suggest starting with Axis V, III, IV, or II rather than I. Start the conversation asking why they have come in. If your doctor doesn't start out by asking you what the diagnosis is when you come in sick, then don't do that to your client (Hint, they don't ask you what you have, they ask about symptoms). Stick with the scientific method! Below is a link to a GAF, please use it to generate a score for your client. Do not discus Axes, (plural of Axis) just go through them.

NOTE: the DSM-5 got rid of the Axis methodology...sort of, but the GAF and the clusters are still the same. I wanted you to see the framework, how this is all organized so that you see where it is coming from. Now the organization assumes that you know the prior organization, which is rather challenging.

What you will turn in on Monday. Please post your dialogue between you and your client here in the discussion section. When you give the GAF, you don't need to write out all the questions, but mark up the form with answers. Then carry on with your questions. The objectives are to familiarize you with the DSM and get you to think about the diagnosis process. You will realize that there are some issues and it will challenge you, this is true in real life as well. Good luck! You will turn in your marked up GAF with your name on it and your client's. (Don't worry about their SS#)

• Disorders usually diagnosed in infancy, childhood or adolescence (Autism, ADHD, Etc.) • Delerium, dementia and other cognitive disorders (Dementias, Alzheimer's Disease, etc.) • Mental disorders due to a general medical condition • Substance-related disorders (such as alcohol or drugs) • Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders • Mood disorders (Depression, Bipolar) • Anxiety disorders • Somatoform disorders (Conversion Disorder, Hypochondriasis, etc.) • Factitious disorders (Munchausen Syndrome) • Dissociative disorders (Dissociative Identity Disorder, etc.) • Sexual and gender identity disorders • Eating disorders (Anorexia, Bulimia, etc.) • Sleep disorders (Insomnia, Sleep Terrors, etc.) • Impulse-control disorders (Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Kleptomania, etc.) • Adjustment disorders
 * Axis I: Clinical Disorders**

• Paranoid personality disorder • Borderline personality disorder • Antisocial personality disorder • Dependent personality disorder • Histrionic personality disorder • Narcissistic personality disorder • Avoidant personality disorder • Schizotypal personality disorder • Schizoid personality disorder • Mental retardation
 * Axis II: Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation**

Ask about their physical health and well being. Underlying biological causes of emotional issues.
 * Axis III: General Medical Condition**

• Problems with the primary support group (divorce, abuse, deaths, births, etc.) • Problems related to social environment (retirement, living alone/friendships, etc.) • Educational problems (illiteracy, academic problems, conflict with teachers, etc.) • Occupational problems (unemployment, difficult work conditions, job dissatisfaction, etc.) • Housing problems (homelessness, unsafe neighborhood, problems with neighbors, etc.) • Economic problems (poverty, insufficient finances, etc.) • Problems with access to health care services (inadequate health care, transportation to health care, health insurance, etc.) • Problems related to interaction with the legal system/crime (arrest, incarceration, or victim of crime, etc.) • Other psychosocial and environmental problems (Disasters, problems with health care providers, etc.)
 * Axis IV: Psychosocial and Environmental Problems**

Person has no problems OR has superior functioning in several areas OR is admired and sought after by others due to positive qualities Person has few or no symptoms. Good functioning in several areas. No more than "everyday" problems or concerns. Person has symptoms/problems, but they are temporary, expectable reactions to stressors. There is no more than slight impairment in any area of psychological functioning. Mild symptoms in one area OR difficulty in one of the following: social, occupational, or school functioning. BUT, the person is generally functioning pretty well and has some meaningful interpersonal relationships. Moderate symptoms OR moderate difficulty in one of the following: social, occupational, or school functioning. Serious symptoms OR serious impairment in one of the following: social, occupational, or school functioning. Some impairment in reality testing OR impairment in speech and communication OR serious impairment in several of the following: occupational or school functioning, interpersonal relationships, judgment, thinking, or mood. Presence of hallucinations or delusions which influence behavior OR serious impairment in ability to communicate with others OR serious impairment in judgment OR inability to function in almost all areas. There is some danger of harm to self or others OR occasional failure to maintain personal hygiene OR the person is virtually unable to communicate with others due to being incoherent or mute. Persistent danger of harming self or others OR persistent inability to maintain personal hygiene OR person has made a serious attempt at suicide.
 * GAF Code: Description of Functioning The GAF for you to administer You have this as a print out, here it is just in case you lose it.**
 * 91 - 100**
 * 81 - 90**
 * 71 - 80**
 * 61 - 70**
 * 51 - 60**
 * 41 - 50**
 * 31 - 40**
 * 21 - 30**
 * 11 - 20**
 * 1 - 10**