Psychology Journals & Treatment Practices

Running head: PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

Psychological Assessment

Lisa M. Buentello

PSY 303: Abnormal Psychology

Instructor: Yolanda Harper

March 28, 2016

Psychological Assessment

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[no notes on this page]

Psychological Assessment 2

Identifying Information

Name: Joan Crawford

Gender: Female

Sexual orientation: Attracted to males

Age: 72

Race: Caucasian

Occupation: Actress

Location of residence: U.S.A, California, Western Region

Chief Complaint/ Presenting Problem

Joan is a 72-year-old Caucasian lady has a history of poor work performance and anger

management. She has been diagnosed with three mental disorders, one of them being Bipolar

disorder. Bipolar disorder is a serious mental heal issue diagnosed during adolescence and early

adulthood. It is defined as a disorder where an individual experiences episodes of maniac and

alternating with major depression. It involves a sudden change in one’s moods from high peaks

to low depths (Kiesbye, 2010). Bipolar disorder has been associated with alcohol abuse and in

the last two decades there have been numerous clinical and epidemiological studies that have

proved this relationship.

The order disorder that Joan is suffering from is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder which is

an anxiety disorder where an individual experiences persistent, unwanted, intrusive impulses or

thoughts.

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1. Good information is

included here. [Yolanda

Harper]

2. She has been diagnosed

with three mental disorders,

one of them being Bipolar

disorder. Bipolar disorder

is a serious mental heal

issue diagnosed during

adolescence and early

adulthood. It is defined as a

disorder where an

individual experiences

episodes of maniac and

alternating with major

depression. It involves a

sudden change in one’s

moods from high peaks

to low depths (Kiesbye,

2010). Bipolar disorder has

been associated with

alcohol abuse and in

the last two decades there

have been numerous

clinical and epidemiological

studies that have

proved this relationship.

Do not include diagnoses in

this section. This will go in

Section XI. Diagnostic

Impression With Differential

Justification. In this section,

write about specific behaviors

and precipitating events that

would lead the client to seek

treatment. [Yolanda Harper]

3. order

Taking the time to proofread

your own work will help you

avoid typos. Another strategy

is to read your work out loud

or to a friend. For additional

assistance, refer to Writing

Reviser. Click on "Learning

Resources" on the left-hand

menu in your course >>

Writing Reviser. [Yolanda

Harper]

4. Obsessive Compulsive

Disorder

see comment above RE:

where to write about

diagnoses [Yolanda Harper]

Psychological Assessment 3

The last disorder is alcoholism whereby Joan became a heavy drinker. Alcoholism is a

mental and physical condition that changes behaviors and reactions (Borowski, 2013). Those that

become alcoholics use alcohol as a means to cope with or distant themselves with reality.

Symptoms

There are various symptoms that Joan exhibits which show the mental disorders she is

suffering from. Joan’s daughter Christina remembers her mother dragged her from bed at night

when she was just nine years old. Her mother beat her with a can of scouring powder simply

because she left streaks of soap on the bathroom floor (Lowe, 2007). This is a symptom of OCD

in that Joan was obsessive with cleanliness. Her mindset is fixed on perfection and ultra-

cleanliness. The bizarre behaviors like cleaning hands and scrubbing clean floors assist Joan in

reducing her anxieties and fears. One result of these behaviors is over-reaction to minor issues

that she faces (Kiesbye, 2010). This tendency expects an individual and others around him or her

to be perfect. She always wants things to be done in a particular way or her way.

Joan also exhibits some symptoms of Bipolar disorder. There are several occasions when

Joan’s moods would just change out of nowhere. An example is when she was kissing her

children goodnight and then looks at Christina’s closet where she finds a dress that's hanging on

a wire hanger. She is overcome with rage and begins ripping all the cloths off the hangers. She

then hits Christina with the wire hanger and tells her to pick up the mess. Joan’s tantrums are

wild and violent for instance when she is fired by her studio boss from MGM after the theatre

owner branded her as box office poison (Lowe, 2007). In the middle of the night she forces her

children to watch her and flies into a bitter rage. She goes ahead to hack down her prize rose

garden and goes ahead to chop down a tree dressed in a ball gown.

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1. (Borowski, 2013).

good work on APA format for

the in-text citation [Yolanda

Harper]

2. Write about the symptoms,

do not include diagnostic

categories here. [Yolanda

Harper]

Psychological Assessment 4

Joan was a very heavy drinker and as an actor she went to many parties and this is most

likely where her addiction begun. After drinking, she would at times become violent, a common

characteristic of alcoholics. An example of a scene in the movie is after going to a party with her

boyfriend at that time. She goes on drinking at home and they get into a fight. Her boyfriend

ends up breaking up with her and she becomes very furious. However, when she realizes that the

relationship is coming to an end, she begins to seduce him into staying. This is an example of

OCD where Joan shows the desire to control her boyfriend and bipolar where she exhibits an

abrupt change in moods (Johnson, & Diamond, 2008). These two disorders are enhanced by the

alcohol that she is taking.

Personal History

Joan Crawford whose real name is Lucille Fay Lesueur was born in San Antonio. This is

where she was born and brought up where she experienced the Caucasian culture. Joan came

from a dysfunctional family where her parents had separated before she was born. Her mother

ended up getting married again to the theatre owner Harry Cassin. However, this relationship did

not last long as her mother and step father ended up splitting.

Joan’s school life was quite interesting, she attended two private schools. She ended up

working on the premises in order to be able to pay for her tuition and also got harsh treatment.

She received corporal punishment for any perceived misdeeds. She had a huge workload which

made it difficult for her to attend classes that made her scholastic record to be faked.

Family history

Joan did not grow up in a stable home because first, her parents separated before her

birth. Secondly, after her mother remarried, that marriage did not last. This shows that Joan did

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1. You provided good

examples of relevant

symptoms. [Yolanda Harper]

2. Her mother

ended up getting married

again to the theatre owner

Harry Cassin. However, this

relationship did not last

long as her mother and

step father ended up

splitting.

family history [Yolanda

Harper]

Psychological Assessment 5

not grow up in a good environment where she could be brought up with good guidance. This is

among the factors that contributed to the development of the mental disorders that she suffered in

her adulthood. When it comes to her medical history, it is reported that Joan had difficulties in

breathing during her infancy stage. Joan also suffered from migraine headaches that would have

been linked with the development of Bipolar disorder. Joan also suffers from alcohol abuse

whereby she started drinking at a night out in a party in Hollywood. After this experience, she

ended up being addicted to alcohol. Her drinking started as a social thing and then escalated to a

regulatory source.

When interviewing people who were in contact with Joan, they described her as an

alcoholic who is abusive, obsessive with cleanliness and seemed to also suffer from bipolar

disorder. There are some common things between collateral sources reports which are Bipolar

disorder, child abuse, and OCD. Christina shared a childhood memory, whereby it was shaped

with violent mood swings of her mother. This ranged from one moment being bought

extravagant dresses and the next minute getting a hard spanking. There is no evidence from

collateral sources that indicate any psychological issues that might have increased the patient’s

problem. From the evaluation, we can conclude that Joan’s lacked attention when she was

growing up from her parents as well as the constant reminder that she needs to be accepted and

have some sense of belonging.

References

Borowski, M. (2013). Psychological Sciences; Addiction as a Disease. European Researcher,

55(7-2), 1945-1964.

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1. migraine headaches that

would have been linked

with the development of

Bipolar disorder.

delete--not accurate

However, you can mention

the headaches in medical

history. [Yolanda Harper]

2. Joan also suffers from

alcohol abuse

whereby she started

drinking at a night out in a

party in Hollywood.

not family history [Yolanda

Harper]

3. After this experience, she

ended up being addicted to

alcohol. Her drinking

started as a social thing

and then escalated to a

regulatory source.

personal history, not family

history [Yolanda Harper]

4. When interviewing

people who were in contact

This information is not part of

this section where you placed

it. It is more appropriate for

Section IX. Collateral

[Yolanda Harper]

5. VI. Therapy History section

is missing.

It is expected that you might

have to create some of the

information you need to

complete certain sections. For

more information, see the Ask

Your Instructor PSY 303 Final

paper Q & A, where I address

this issue. [Yolanda Harper]

6. European Researcher,

good choice for a peer-

reviewed journal article

[Yolanda Harper]

Psychological Assessment 6

Johnson, D. L., & Diamond, C. (2008). Mommy Dearest. Dale City, VA: Reluctant Press.

Kiesbye, S. (2010). Bipolar disorder. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press/Gale Cengage

Learning.

Lowe, C. (2007). The everything health guide to OCD: Professional advice on handling anxiety,

understanding treatment options, and finding the support you need. Avon, MA: Adams

Media.

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1. Excellent APA format!

[Yolanda Harper]