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CASE STUDY ASSIGNMENT
Case Study Assignment: Sam
Jordan N. McVey
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
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CASE STUDY ASSIGNMENT
Client Concerns
Symptoms Behaviors Stressors
Suicidal thoughts Making a plan for suicide,
researching pain-free
methods
Thinking her friends and
family would be better
without her
Fatigue Lack of sleep, sleeping too
much
Lack of sleep, rapid mood
changes,
Sadness Sleeping up to 13 hours per
night, loss of appetite and
interest in activities
Strained relationship with her
roommate, feeling like she
won't finish her graduate
program
Mania Writing a book for 10 hours a
day, sleeping 1-2 hours per
night, increased social
interactions
Lack of sleep, writing a novel
Hearing voices Crying, becoming hysterical Sleep deprivation, being
focused on writing
Inflated self-esteem Saying she was the world's
greatest author and that she
would become famous
Lack of sleep, rapid mood
changes
Assessment
The assessment I would use with Sam to determine the severity of her symptoms is the
Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ). The MDQ is an instrument used to determine if a person's
symptoms suggest bipolar disorder by asking 13 questions relating to bipolar disorder symptoms
such as mania and periods of elevated or low moods (Dumont et al., 2022). It is essential to use
diagnostic tools appropriate to the suspected diagnosis, as misdiagnoses can cause severe
implications for the individual (Dumont et al., 2022). The MDQ is most suitable for Sam as she
has reported many instances of mania and depressive symptoms that are significantly impacting
