Chapter 13: Psychological Disorders AND Chapter 14: Treatment of Psychological Disorders
You are training to become a clinical psychologist. For your certifying exam, you must think critically to analyze a case study about a client with a psychological disorder. After you read the case study below, please answer these questions. First, analyze this case study by describing what you observe about the client and then use this information to name and explain the two main symptoms this client is showing. Second, based on your analysis of these two symptoms, name and explain what one diagnosis you would make for this client. Third, name and describe two psychoactive drugs and one psychotherapy technique that are most likely to be successful in treating the client and explain how each of these three treatments can help.
Bert is 40 years old and works on an assembly line in a brush factory. He is terribly afraid of getting sick from germs and thoughts about dirt, germs, and illness worry him most of the time. He avoids shaking hands with others, including his boss. He won’t eat in the cafeteria with his co-workers. He goes to the bathroom to wash his hands much more often than his breaks permit. He has trouble leaving the bathroom because he must wash his hands repeatedly with scalding hot water. As a result, his hands are so dry, cracked and bleeding that he has trouble doing his job. Bert has been reprimanded several times because of his actions and has been warned that he will be fired if he doesn’t stop his behaviors.
