Case Study: Final Report

Case Study: Final Report

Write a 5–7 page final report for Derek or Meredith's defense attorney.

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Introduction

Forensic psychologists may do assessments for either the prosecution or defense. Once an assessment has been completed, a written report is commonly used to communicate the forensic psychologist's conclusion. It may include items like potential origins of the behaviors (both biological and environmental, speaking to the classic nature versus nurture argument in psychology), current manifestations of the behavior and potential diagnosis, assessment approach, and other ethical or demographic considerations related to the case. In Assessment 3, you will continue reviewing the case you explored in Assessment 2 and apply your knowledge and skills related to assessment and ethics to provide a final report.

NOTE: This assessment builds on Assessment 2. It's recommended that you complete Assessment 2 before Assessment 4.

Preparation

• Review the case study you chose (Derek or Meredith) from the Criminal Offenders: Case Studies media piece.

• Review the DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria for:
  • Depressive disorders.
  • Bipolar and related disorders.
  • Anxiety disorders.
  • Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders.
• In the Capella library, locate three peer-reviewed journal articles:
  • At least one article on the mental health disorder.
  • At least one article on the assessment you chose.

Instructions

Write and submit a 5–7 page report summarizing Derek's or Meredith's diagnosis and its influence on their behavior.

In your paper, include the following:

• State the disorder Derek or Meredith show signs of having.
  • Reference the DSM-5-TR when you do this, and specifically state how they meet the diagnostic criteria for that disorder.
  • This discussion should be approximately one page.
• Describe the mental health assessment you chose. Discuss the assessment’s validity and reliability.
  • Be sure to demonstrate how this assessment is appropriate for your case study.
  • This discussion should be approximately one page.
• Discuss the possible biological, developmental, behavioral, situational, and protective factors that may explain or cause the behaviors in the case study.
  • This discussion should be approximately one to two pages.
• Discuss ethical considerations related to assessing this client and provide examples.
  • This discussion should be approximately one page.
• Review the crime as described in Criminal Offenders: Case Studies and describe how the disorder influenced the commission of the crime.
  • This discussion should be approximately one to two pages.

Use the APA Style Paper Template [DOCX] for your paper. Be sure you review the Case Study: Final Report scoring guide to ensure that you have met all the criteria for this assessment.

Additional Requirements

Your paper should meet the following requirements:

• Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to the APA style and formatting standards.
• References: At least six references—your textbook, APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, the DSM-5-TR, and three peer-reviewed journal articles. Note: You can use sources you found for Assessment 2.
• Length of paper: 5–7 typed, double-spaced pages of content, in addition to the title page and references page.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Interpret behavior based on biological, social, and psychological factors.
  • Apply DSM-5-TR criteria to a case study.
  • Interpret behavior based on biological, behavioral, situational, developmental, and protective factors.
  • Develop an explanation of the relationship between the mental health disorder and the crime.
• Competency 2: Apply reliability and validity and generalizability to research findings and assessments.
  • Apply reliability, validity, and generalizability to a chosen assessment.
• Competency 3: Apply psychological ethical principles to forensic psychology.
  • Apply ethical principles to an assessment in forensic psychology.
• Competency 4: Apply information literacy skills to problems in forensic psychology.
  • Apply evidence from peer-reviewed journal articles.
• Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for professionals in the field of psychology.
  • Use APA style formatting for citations and reference list with only minor errors.
  • Address assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.CASE STUDY 1

    Derek

    Read below to learn more about Derek.

    Derek’s Story

    Derek is a twenty-year-old, African American patient who is accused of second-degree murder for killing a twenty-one-year-old female (Yvonne) one year ago, and was subsequently certified into a state forensic hospital for further evaluation and treatment while awaiting trial. His counsel intends to allege that he was in a dissociative state, due to possible drug use, when he stabbed the victim to death.

    Childhood

    Derek is an only child. From the age of five, his teachers and parents noted undue aggression, distractibility, and a lack of concentration. By his own admission, he was impulsive, acted out, and experienced temper tantrums three to four times per week. At school and at home his temper problems continued and he was described at school as "a bully with no friends." His parents noted that around the age of nine, they began to see a cycle developing. In the first stage of the cycle, he would start school, a project, or a new routine motivated and positive. His positive beginnings were short-lived however, and he would become frustrated, blow up and get angry, followed by a calm period. His parents noted that his ability to cope with feelings such as frustration related to the phase of the cycle.At the age of thirteen, his maternal grandfather, with whom he was very close, died. This was devastating to him. He took this quite badly as his grandfather was a significant person in his life. In grade seven (age thirteen), he attended a new school, and although he was very anxious about starting there, the year began well. However, within six months his parents reported that he had poor peer relationships and was bullying other children. He was suspended for stealing items from other students’ lockers. During this period, he reports that he frequently lied and stole from his parents. Derek admitted in the intake interview that he started using marijuana and having frequent sex when he was thirteen.

    Home Life

    Derek’s parents state that there was a great deal of emotional tension in the house. He was referred to the Nelson Treatment Centre for assessment but refused to see the therapist. During the summer months in subsequent years, he spent a lot of time at the family cottage and seemed to benefit greatly from his relationship with Yvonne (the murder victim). The relationship was described by his parents as a "brother-sister" relationship. He returned to school in September each year, but was suspended often for infrequent attendance. His mother reports that he was difficult to tolerate because of his drug use and his refusal to do any chores around the house. His mother reported that she was afraid of him because his outbursts were so unpredictable.An unchaperoned house party led to substantial damage to Derek's house and this resulted in a significant confrontation with his parents. His parents asked him to leave (he had just turned eighteen) and he spent several weeks living in Yvonne's apartment. He reports that his status at her apartment was one of a friend who was staying with her temporarily.During this period, he had a girlfriend who broke up with him. His parents reported that he was quite upset by this. He stole Yvonne's car, drove to his grandmother's summer cottage, and broke in. He vandalized several cottages. After spending two days at the cottage, he decided to return the car to Yvonne.However, he panicked when he saw the police at the roadblock (checking for drunk drivers). The police chased him but he managed to lose them. He hid for an hour and started driving again but fell asleep while driving and the car ended up in the ditch. He walked to the nearest town, went to the police department, and told them what happened. He was arrested and sent to the Mental Health Center for a court-ordered assessment. He was given a one-year probation (convicted of six counts of breaking and entering, taking an automobile without consent, and careless driving). His conditions of treatment included seeing a doctor and attending group therapy.

    Pre-Murder

    About six weeks prior to the homicide, Derek reports that he started having what he called "rushes" in which he would feel very strange, tense, and agitated. The acute stage would last for about five minutes but he would continue to feel strange for a few hours. His parents had left town on a two-week holiday and he was staying at home alone. He sought help from his uncle who took him to the emergency room at the hospital. The doctor described Derek as being "very anxious, continually clenching his fists" and gave him a prescription for diazepam.The night prior to the homicide he stayed at a friend's house partying (doing acid and drinking vodka). The next evening around 9:00 p.m. he went to stay with Yvonne. He reports waking up at 3:00 a.m. trying to control his feelings of panic and his need to run away. He was having suicidal thoughts and felt that he needed to take Yvonne's car and get away. At some point he remembers the knife being in his hand and that he was stabbing Yvonne in a state of extreme emotional rage (victim was stabbed approximately sixteen times). He claims he did not remember the actual attack, but he remembers feeling a sense of relief some time afterward. He remembers covering the body with a sheet. He says he took a shower, changed clothes, took her car keys, and left. He went to work and told them he did not feel well. When asked about cuts on his hands he claimed he had cut his hand when changing a tire. He returned to Yvonne's apartment and took her car and left the city heading towards his grandmother's cottage. The car broke down several miles outside the city. When the police stopped to ask him if he needed help he acted very confused and could not identify himself. The police arrested him.

    Post-Murder

    Derek has not been able to explain adequately the motivation behind his actions. He reports he does not understand why he would have killed his "best friend." During the interview, he talked at length about his friendship with Yvonne, described her as like a big sister to him, and expressed remorse for what he had done. He stated that he felt she was the only person in the world that he could turn to and that he valued her friendship and support.When he first arrived at this hospital, Derek reported that he wanted to gain insight into his behavior. More recent reports, however, indicate that he blames the homicide on his mental illness and is refusing to take part in psychotherapy. In the last four months, he seems to have gained a measure of control over his impulses and has not been a management problem on the unit. According to nursing reports, Derek tends to have somewhat condescending attitude towards the other patients and can be sarcastic to staff when denied a request. It has also been noted that Derek will "go shopping from staff to staff when he does not receive the answer he wants."
  • CASE STUDY 2

    Meredith

    Read below to learn more about Meredith.

    Meredith’s Story

    Meredith is a twenty-year-old, Native American patient who is accused of second-degree murder for killing a twenty-one-year-old male (Carl) one year ago, and was subsequently certified into a state forensic hospital for further evaluation and treatment while awaiting trial. Her counsel intends to allege that she was in a dissociative state, due to possible drug use, when she stabbed the victim to death.

    Childhood

    Meredith is an only child. From the age of five, her teachers and parents noted undue aggression, distractibility, and a lack of concentration. By her own admission, she was impulsive, acted out, and experienced temper tantrums three to four times per week. At school and at home her temper problems continued and she was described at school as "a bully with no friends." Her parents noted that around the age of nine, they began to see a cycle developing. In the first stage of the cycle, she would start school, a project, or a new routine motivated and positive. Her positive beginnings were short-lived however, and she would become frustrated, blow up and get angry, followed by a calm period. Her parents noted that her ability to cope with feelings such as frustration related to the phase of the cycle.At the age of thirteen, her maternal grandmother, with whom she was very close, died. This was devastating to her. She took this quite badly as her grandmother was a significant person in her life. In grade seven (age thirteen), she attended a new school, and although she was very anxious about starting there, the year began well. However, within six months her parents reported that she had poor peer relationships and was bullying other children. She was suspended for stealing items from other student's lockers. During this period, she reports that she frequently lied and stole from her parents. Meredith admitted, in the intake interview, that she started using marijuana and having frequent sex when she was thirteen.

    Home Life

    Meredith’s parents state that there was a great deal of emotional tension in the house. She was referred to the Nelson Treatment Centre for assessment but refused to see the therapist. During the summer months in subsequent years, she spent a lot of time at the family cottage and seemed to benefit greatly from her relationship with Carl (the murder victim). The relationship was described by her parents as a "brother-sister" relationship. She returned to school in September each year, but was suspended often for infrequent attendance. Her mother reports that she was difficult to tolerate because of her drug use and her refusal to do any chores around the house. Her mother reported that she was afraid of her because her outbursts were so unpredictable.An unchaperoned house party led to substantial damage to Meredith's house and this resulted in a significant confrontation with her parents. Her parents asked her to leave (she had just turned eighteen) and she spent several weeks living in Carl's apartment. She reports that her status at his apartment was one of a friend who was staying with him temporarily.During this period, she had a boyfriend who broke up with her. Her parents reported that she was quite upset by this. She stole Carl's car, drove to her grandfather's summer cottage, and broke in. She vandalized several cottages. After spending two days at the cottage, she decided to return the car to Carl.However, she panicked when she saw the police at the roadblock (checking for drunk drivers). The police chased her but she managed to lose them. She hid for an hour and started driving again but fell asleep while driving and the car ended up in the ditch. She walked to the nearest town, went to the police department, and told them what happened. She was arrested and sent to the Mental Health Center for a court-ordered assessment. She was given a one-year probation (convicted of six counts of breaking and entering, taking an automobile without consent, and careless driving). Her conditions of treatment included seeing a doctor and attending group therapy.

    Pre-Murder

    About six weeks prior to the homicide, Meredith reports that she started having what she called "rushes" in which she would feel very strange, tense and agitated. The acute stage would last for about five minutes but she would continue to feel strange for a few hours. Her parents had left town on a two-week holiday and she was staying at home alone. She sought help from her aunt who took her to the emergency room at the hospital. The doctor described Meredith as being "very anxious, continually clenching her fists" and gave her a prescription for diazepam.The night prior to the homicide she stayed at a friend's house partying (doing acid and drinking vodka). The next evening around 9:00 p.m. she went to stay with Carl. She reports waking up at 3:00 a.m. trying to control her feelings of panic and her need to run away. She was having suicidal thoughts and felt that she needed to take Carl's car and get away. At some point she remembers the knife being in her hand and that she was stabbing Carl in a state of extreme emotional rage (victim was stabbed approximately sixteen times). She claims she did not remember the actual attack, but she remembers feeling a sense of relief some time afterward. She remembers covering the body with a sheet. She says she took a shower, changed clothes, took his car keys and left. She went to work and told them she did not feel well. When asked about cuts on her hands she claimed she had cut her hand when changing a tire. She returned to Carl's apartment and took his car and left the city heading towards her grandfather's cottage. The car broke down several miles outside the city. When the police stopped to ask her if she needed help she acted very confused and could not identify herself. The police arrested her.

    Post-Murder

    Meredith has not been able to explain adequately the motivation behind her actions. She reports she does not understand why she would have killed her "best friend." During the interview, she talked at length about her friendship with Carl, described him as like a big brother to her, and expressed remorse for what she had done. She stated that she felt he was the only person in the world that she could turn to and that she valued his friendship and support.When she first arrived at this hospital, Meredith reported that she wanted to gain insight into her behavior. More recent reports, however, indicate that she blames the homicide on her mental illness and is refusing to take part in psychotherapy. In the last four months, she seems to have gained a measure of control over her impulses and has not been a management problem on the unit. According to nursing reports, Meredith tends to have somewhat condescending attitude towards the other patients and can be sarcastic to staff when denied a request. It has also been noted that Meredith will "go shopping from staff to staff when she does not receive the answer she wants."
  • Use the resources linked below to help complete this assessment.Collapse All

    Criminal Behaviors

    Substance Abuse and CrimeRead the articles in the following section of your reading list to learn about the relationship between substance abuse and crime.
    • Assessment 4: Substance Abuse.

    Explore the DSM

    In the DSM-5-TR, read the chapter on substance-related and addictive disorders:

    Domestic Violence

    • Bartol, C. R., & Bartol, A. M. (2021). Criminal behavior: A psychological approach (12th ed.). Pearson.
      • Read Chapter 9 to explore the topic of domestic violence, in addition to several other types of crimes.
        • Chapter 9, “Homicide, Assault, and Intimate Partner and Family Violence.”

    Sexual Assault

    • Bartol, C. R., & Bartol, A. M. (2021). Criminal behavior: A psychological approach (12th ed.). Pearson.
      • Review Chapters 12 and 13 to explore the topic of sexual assault, including vulnerability factors for sexual victimization, treatment of child sex offenders, and more.
        • Chapter 12, “Sexual Assault.”
        • Chapter 13, “Sexual Assault of Children and Youth.”

    Hate Crimes

    Use the following resources to examine both hate crimes and hate crime literature from a variety of vantage points, including how we measure hate crime.
    • Bartol, C. R., & Bartol, A. M. (2021). Criminal behavior: A psychological approach (12th ed.). Pearson.
      • Review pages 10–11 and 14–15 in Chapter 1, "Introduction to Criminal Behavior."
    • Review this media piece to learn more about race, gender, and inequality:
      • Capella Talks: What Defines Us? The Impact of Race and Gender.
    • Read the articles in this section of your reading list for a discussion on current literature and concerns regarding hate crimes.
      • Assessment 4: Hate Crimes

    Psychology Ethics

    Use the following section of your reading list to access and review the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.
    • Psychology Ethics.

    Research

    Using the Library

    Review this resource when completing your research.
    • Finding Scholarly Psychology Articles in the Library.

    Forensic Report Writing

    Report writing is a skill applied regularly in forensic psychology. Please read the article in the following section of your reading list.
    • Assessment 4: Forensic Report Writing.