Case A

Kyla is a postgraduate psychology student with acute anxiety disorder. She developed this at
the end of her second year of undergraduate studies. As a consequence her impairment didnt
have an impact on her choice to study psychology, and she chose not to disclose it to her
university.
Her experiences impacted on her studies in several ways. She felt consistently in a state of
anxiety, and at times would have panic attacks. She found it incredibly difficult to leave my
house, as I knew I would have an attack on the journey to university, and hated going into busy
places such as the student union, which together would make her feel isolated. In addition, Kyla
encountered difficulties in lectures: I found it difficult to see slides because of my blurred
vision. Toward the end of her degree she nearly left the course altogether, as alongside the
above difficulties she started feeling unable to concentrate on her coursework, even at home,
which she feels impacted on her examination results.
Kyla doesnt feel that studying psychology conferred any positive benefits in relation to her
condition; she sees the two as separate. When she attended mental health-related lectures or
seminars, she felt very uncomfortable: It highlighted to me my difference from everyone else.
Psychology lecturers and tutors were unable to offer help, since Kyla did not disclose her
condition to the department. She chose to disclose to close friends, who gave her the support
that she needed at times: If it was not for the support of my close friends I would not have got
through my degree. Kyla did try the universitys counselling service, but they were only able to
offer short term counselling and she was told she needed more substantial counselling support.
Despite these problems Kyla, through hard work and determination, overcame the barriers she
encountered, and is currently studying for a PhD.
Source:http://www.scips.worc.ac.uk/subjects_and_challenges/casestudies/psychology/psycholo
gy_anxiety.html

Multi-Axial Assessment
AXIS I: Acute Anxiety Disorder
AXIS II: NA
AXIS III: NA
AXIS IV: NA
AXIS V: 75 points on the GAF scale

Case B
Kim is a combined honours psychology student with borderline personality disorder and
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Kims experience of borderline personality disorder
impacted on her decision to study psychology, as she would like to specialise in personality
disorders, and feels that her life experiences would assist her in helping others.
Her condition has impacted on her degree studies in many ways. Stress, such as that
associated with studying, makes dealing with her impairment more difficult: I struggle more with
my illness when under stress. This then can impact on her studying. Her treatment itself can
cause study problems; when she goes through challenging periods of psychotherapy, she is
often too distressed to focus on her academic work.
Kim finds it hard to concentrate during long sessions of teaching; she finds concentrating for
three and a half hours with only a fifteen minute break particularly problematic. Coping with
two subjects at once is also challenging.
Kim has found group work particularly stressful. If the group has to have a discussion, due to
her ADHD and personality impairment she goes blank and finds it difficult to concentrate, and
tends to get upset. She feels very self-conscious about not working, and about juggling a family,
and at times feels like she has nothing to contribute. Having spent many years in psychiatric
hospitals she also worries about people asking her about her past. However, she feels that now
she is accepted and has made many new friends.
In relation to assessment, Kim is allowed to sit exams in a quiet room on her own. However, she
still feels extremely anxious and distressed when examinations approach. She has found that
this has had an impact on her results, in that she tends to do better for her coursework than on
exam assessment. She obtained an A for one of her essays, on a topic related to her mental
health experiences, which has given her confidence in herself. She now feels that she is been
able to separate off her emotional experience when required to write such academic essays.
Kim has found it very helpful when lecturers and tutors have accommodated her by emailing her
slides, allowing her to tape lectures or to leave the room briefly if she feels distressed, making
sure she understands what she needs to do, reassuring her about her work, and giving her
extensions. Overall, Kim gains great joy from studying at degree level, as her illness has
prevented her from gaining qualifications in the past.
Source:http://www.scips.worc.ac.uk/subjects_and_challenges/casestudies/psychology/psycholo
gy_anxiety.html
Multi Axial Assessment

AXIS I: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

AXIS II: Borderline Personality Disorder
AXIS III: NA
AXIS IV: NA
AXIS V: 78 points on the GAF Scale.
Case Study C
Zev is a 45-year-old man seeking therapy from Dr. Miller, a clinical psychologist. Zev is an
Orthodox Jew. For many years, Zev has felt compelled to perform very specific, stereotyped
rituals dozens of times each day. For example, any time Zev eats, he must tap his fork on the
side of his plate five times before he takes a bite. As another example, when he gets undressed
each evening, Zev must place his shoes exactly one inch apart other and precisely parallel to
the wall near his bed. Zev feels that by doing such behaviors, he is preventing terrible things
from happening. If he is prevented from doing these behaviors, he experiences extremely high
levels of anxiety. In recent months, Zev has developed more of these ritualistic, anxiety-driven
behaviors, and his behaviors have become more severe as well. His family has tried to be
patient, but on numerous occasions his behaviors have gotten in the way of their lives, such as
the time that he felt compelled to insert the key into the lock of their home just right, which
required dozens of attempts and a delay of about 10 minutes while his family waited in the rain.
Source: Pomerantz, Clinical Pychology, 2e
Multi Axial Assessment
AXIS I: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
AXIS II: NA
AXIS III: NA
AXIS IV: Excessive religious rituals
AXIS V: 60 points in the GAF scale

Case Study D
Sarah a women patient presented in visible distress due to the death of her grandfather. Three
months after his death the patient experienced symptoms of a heart attack on her way home
from work. She was then able to get to the hospital where some tests were ran and all of her
results came back normal. The patient did have elevated blood pressure but there where no
signs of physiological illness. Six weeks later Sarah had a similar attack while watching
television at home. She at this time went to see her primary care physician. Once again all tests
by her doctor came back normal. During the next six weeks she experienced three more
attacks. The patient began to worry about when they may occur and where she would be when
they would occur. Her anxiety of the attacks began to interfere with her daily activities. The
patient just can not figure out why no one could find out whats wrong with her .
Source: Schultz, D. Schultz, S. (2008). History of Psychology Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
http://www.gestalttheory.com/othersystems
Multi Axial Assessment
AXIS I: Panic Attacks Panic Disorder
AXIS II: NA
AXIS III: NA
AXIS IV: Grandfathers death
AXIS V: 60 points on the GAF scale

Case Study E
Clinical Case: Tom
During his childhood, Tom had frequent asthma attacks. His asthma was triggered principally by
pollen, and each year he went through a particularly bad period that included several trips to the
emergency room of a local hospital. He also seemed to get more than his share of colds, which
frequently developed into bronchitis. As he reached his teenage years, the attacks of asthma
mysteriously vanished, and he was symptom-free for the next 20 years. But at age 34 the
attacks returned with a vengeance following about of pneumonia. In contrast to his childhood
attacks, emotional stress now appeared to be the major precipitant. This hypothesis was
confirmed when his physician asked
Tom to keep a diary for 2 weeks in which he recorded how he had been feeling and what had
been going on before each attack. He had four attacks over the period, three preceded by
unpleasant interactions with his boss at work and one by an argument with his wife over an
impending visit
by her parents.
Source: Abnormal Psychology, Kring et al, 11e
Multi- Axial Assessment:
AXIS I: NA
AXIS II: NA
AXIS III: Asthma, Colds that developed into bronchitis, case of pneumonia
AXIS IV: Emotional Stress from work, stress from in laws
AXIS V: 85 points on the GAF scale

MULTI AXIAL ASSESSMENT OF CASE STUDIES

ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
SACRED HEART COLLEGE LUCENA CITY

CARMELA ROSE YSABEL D. RAMOS

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PSYCHOLOGY, THIRD YEAR

SUBMITTED TO: MS. ANGELA TABALNO