Fictional Character Analysis

Purpose

In this activity, you will demonstrate your understanding of the basic theories and techniques of abnormal psychology.

Guidelines

Pick a character from a favorite book (fiction or nonfiction) or from a favorite movie. Choose a character that you believe has a psychological disorder (e.g., Sylvia Plath, Antwone Fisher). Describe the character and his or her problems, using this discussion as a foundation for diagnosing the individual and planning a treatment program. Make your diagnosis using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10 link).

Carefully take the reader through the steps you followed to decide on a diagnosis  and a type of treatment (e.g., therapy, possible medication, referrals to other professionals). Describe any other recommendations you have, including assessments you would want completed to help accurately diagnose your character. Make sure you have plenty of information to support your diagnosis (i.e., clarify why the character meets the criteria according to the ICD-10 codes).

The completed work should be 6–8 pages long. At least 5 Scholarly Journal Citations.

Additional recommendations: Make sure you support your diagnosis and treatment decisions with outside resources. Discuss how and why your proposed treatments would be effective for your character, and in what ways.