PSY 215 Module Five Milestone Template
Complete this template by replacing the bracketed text with the relevant information.
For this milestone, you will use the Four D’s diagnostic indicators to analyze one behavior that might
impair a person’s adaptive daily functioning. You will determine if that behavior could potentially
represent a clinical disorder. Use your template to address the rubric criteria listed below with a
minimum of 3 to 5 sentences per bullet. Support your answers with a credible source when necessary.
From the list in the Module Five Milestone Guidelines and Rubric, select one behavior that might impair
a person’s adaptive daily functioning, then address the following:
Distress: Describe the extent to which the selected behavior causes distress as characterized by
mental or emotional imbalance.
[Hallucinations and delusions from psychosis can cause anxiety and fear, especially if there is
difficulty in differentiating fantasy from reality. Psychosis can cause paranoia, which can harm
personal relationships. Individuals suffering from psychosis may feel a sense of hopelessness
which can quickly escalate to depression. (Fusar-Poli, et al., 2014)]
Dysfunction: Describe the extent to which the selected behavior causes dysfunction by
interfering with adaptive daily functioning.
[Individuals with psychosis have a hard time separating fantasy from reality and therefore often
find it difficult to maintain healthy relationships. Hallucinations and delusional thinking may
cause the individual to appear to be inappropriate or awkward in social settings. They may also
have a problem performing work and school activities as well as normal day-to-day activities
such as bathing. Psychosis has a significant effect on the individual’s emotional well-being,
especially since depression, anxiety, or even complete isolation are all possibilities. (Upthegrove,
et al., 2017)]
Danger: Describe the extent to which the selected behavior presents as a danger to self or
others.
[Psychosis can manifest as danger in several different ways. First, individuals who suffer from
psychosis pose a tremendous risk to themselves. Delusions and hallucinations will often cause
the individual to harm themselves and has even been known to cause these individuals to
commit suicide. Second, individuals suffering from psychosis may be a danger to those around
them. It is possible, although not very common that psychosis can lead to aggressive or violent
behavior. Paranoia may cause the individual to feel threatened when no actual threat exists.
(Hawton, et al., 2005)
Deviance: Describe the extent to which the selected behavior deviates from normality.
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[Individuals with psychosis experience hallucinations, delusions, and a distorted perception of
reality which deviate significantly from societal norms. Individuals with psychosis often exhibit
behaviors that don’t fit what is considered normal in society. Some of these behaviors include
social withdrawal, impulsive actions, and emotional instability. (Barch & Ceaser, 2012)
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References
Barch, D. M., & Ceaser, A. (2012). Cognition in schizophrenia: core psychological and neural
mechanisms. Trends in cognitive sciences, 16(1), 27–34.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2011.11.015
Fusar-Poli, P., Borgwardt, S., Bechdolf, A., Addington, J., Riecher-Rössler, A., Schultze-Lutter, F.,
Keshavan, M., Wood, S., Ruhrmann, S., Seidman, L. J., Valmaggia, L., Cannon, T.,
Velthorst, E., De Haan, L., Cornblatt, B., Bonoldi, I., Birchwood, M., McGlashan, T.,
Carpenter, W., McGorry, P., … Yung, A. (2013). The psychosis high-risk state: a
comprehensive state-of-the-art review. JAMA psychiatry, 70(1), 107–120.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.269
Hawton, K., Sutton, L., Haw, C., Sinclair, J., & Deeks, J. (2005). Schizophrenia and suicide:
Systematic review of risk factors. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 187(1), 9-20.
doi:10.1192/bjp.187.1.9
Upthegrove, R., Marwaha, S., & Birchwood, M. (2017). Depression and Schizophrenia: Cause,
Consequence, or Trans-diagnostic Issue?. Schizophrenia bulletin, 43(2), 240–244.
https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbw097
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