PS440 | Abnormal Psychology 1 Abnormal Psychology: Case Study Case Study 2: Harrison: Major Depressive Disorder The Case Harrison is a 39-year-old mechanical engineer, employed as a design manager for an automobile corporation in Detroit, Michigan. He is married to his childhood sweetheart, Renee and is the father of two young sons, living in an upper middle class suburb. Harrison has loved cars for as long as he can remember. Throughout his childhood, he collected toy cars and built models. As he grew older, his infatuation became a passion. About ten years ago, he bought a dilapidated 1956 Chevy two-door hardtop. Over the next few years, he lovingly restored it to show-winning condition. He is a car fanatic outside his garage as well, watching at least one car race every weekend, subscribing to several car magazines, and serving as the vice-president of a major automobile association. This past weekend, his club met at the Mid-Ohio Raceway, but he didn’t go. In the past two months, he has missed three similar events and one planning meeting. His favorite part stores went unvisited, races went unwatched, magazines piled up unread, and his beloved Chevy two-door went untouched. The cars he had so fervently loved before now held nothing for him; he just didn’t care. Work was pretty much the same story. He used to feel lucky; he designed cars and got paid for it. He even got a promotion a few months ago, from design engineer to project manager. At first, things seemed to go well, but soon he started having trouble getting his new staff organized, and they fell behind on deadlines. The more he pushed to make his group productive, the more out of control things got. One engineer transferred to another department and others have been looking to leave. He is aware that his group has been doing badly but has no idea what to do about it. In the past year, he has called in sick as much as he thought he could get away with. At home, things have also taken a turn for the worse. His wife and he have not had sex for nearly four months and he has no desire to. Most days, they rarely talk other than the necessary conversations. In the past, dinner was always family time; after dinner; he always made time for his two young sons, bathing them, reading them stories, or playing computer games with them. However, in the past month or so, he has barely talked to his children. He can’t remember at what point their games started to annoy him, or at which point he began to stare at the television at night. For the past week, he has even give up on television shows and spends his evenings sitting in his garage in darkness and silence. When he looks at his beloved car, he feels nothing. Nothing seems to matter anymore: his cars, his job, his family. His life? Thoughts about his death occur frequently these days and it is hard for him to see the point in continuing to live. Childhood Background Harrison grew up as an.

1. PS440 | Abnormal Psychology
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Abnormal Psychology: Case Study
Case Study 2: Harrison: Major Depressive Disorder
The Case
Harrison is a 39-year-old mechanical engineer, employed as a
design manager for an automobile
corporation in Detroit, Michigan. He is married to his childhood
sweetheart, Renee and is the father of
two young sons, living in an upper middle class suburb.
Harrison has loved cars for as long as he can
remember. Throughout his childhood, he collected toy cars and
built models. As he grew older, his
infatuation became a passion. About ten years ago, he bought a
dilapidated 1956 Chevy two-door
hardtop. Over the next few years, he lovingly restored it to
show-winning condition. He is a car fanatic
outside his garage as well, watching at least one car race every
weekend, subscribing to several car
magazines, and serving as the vice-president of a major
automobile association.
This past weekend, his club met at the Mid-Ohio Raceway, but
he didn’t go. In the past two months, he
has missed three similar events and one planning meeting. His

2. favorite part stores went unvisited, races
went unwatched, magazines piled up unread, and his beloved
Chevy two-door went untouched. The
cars he had so fervently loved before now held nothing for him;
he just didn’t care.
Work was pretty much the same story. He used to feel lucky; he
designed cars and got paid for it. He
even got a promotion a few months ago, from design engineer to
project manager. At first, things
seemed to go well, but soon he started having trouble getting
his new staff organized, and they fell
behind on deadlines. The more he pushed to make his group
productive, the more out of control things
got. One engineer transferred to another department and others
have been looking to leave. He is
aware that his group has been doing badly but has no idea what
to do about it. In the past year, he has
called in sick as much as he thought he could get away with.
At home, things have also taken a turn for the worse. His wife
and he have not had sex for nearly four
months and he has no desire to. Most days, they rarely talk
other than the necessary conversations. In
the past, dinner was always family time; after dinner; he always
made time for his two young sons,
bathing them, reading them stories, or playing computer games
with them. However, in the past month
or so, he has barely talked to his children. He can’t remember at
what point their games started to annoy
him, or at which point he began to stare at the television at
night. For the past week, he has even give up
on television shows and spends his evenings sitting in his
garage in darkness and silence. When he looks

3. at his beloved car, he feels nothing. Nothing seems to matter
anymore: his cars, his job, his family. His
life? Thoughts about his death occur frequently these days and
it is hard for him to see the point in
continuing to live.
Childhood Background
Harrison grew up as an only child in a middle-class suburb of
Cleveland. His father was vice president
and general manager of a small manufacturing firm until his
retirement seven years ago. His mother
held a series of part-time administrative assistant jobs until she
was found dead from an overdose of
sleeping pills when Harrison was in his first year of college.
Harrison’s father ran his company with a firm hand and he did
the same with his family, particularly his
only child. He rarely gave praise for work well done and was
quick to criticize any mistakes Harrison
PS440 | Abnormal Psychology
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made. According to Harrison, his father’s most striking
characteristic is his stubbornness; he was always
convinced of his own correctness and never wavered. Harrison’s
mother was a relative nonentity in the

4. house and was completely dominated by her overbearing
husband. As a child, Harrison often heard her
crying in her room.
Harrison estimates that his childhood experiences were fairly
normal. He describes several typical
childhood mishaps, such as when he broke his leg falling out of
a tree but denies psychologically
traumatic episodes or instances of abuse. His father did use
corporal punishment but Harrison never
saw it as excessive or unwarranted. When asked about his own
marriage, Harrison talks about his failure
as a father and a husband and that he has recently become
annoyed by almost everything his wife and
two sons do. At one point of his marriage, he considered Renee’
to be a true partner, sharing all
responsibilities of the house and child rearing; however, he has
recently lost interest in his wife and
children and cannot remember the last time they did something
together as a family.
He speaks of his job in a similar manner; whereas he once
enjoyed his job, he has recently had many
conflicts with his bosses as well as those under his supervision.
At both work and home, he often feels
trapped and overwhelmed.
PS440 | Abnormal Psychology
Unit 8 Patient Portfolio

5. Student’s Name
Case Study
Course
Professor’s Name
Project Name
Part 1: Patient’s Background
Patient’s Name
Disorder Name
List of diagnostic criteria that the patient meets (based on the
DSM-5)
Part 2: Psychological Approach
Select a psychological theory from the course textbook (chose
either a cognitive or behavioral theory. Refer to the textbook or
an academic source to explain the theory. Next, apply the theory
by explaining how the individual’s mental disorder may have

6. developed according to the theory. (Approximately 225 words)
Part 3: Biological Approach
Select a theory from the biological approach from the course
textbook (Choose either the genetic or neurological influence).
Refer to the textbook or an academic source to explain the
theory. Next, apply the theory by explaining how the individual
or character’s mental disorder may have developed according to
the theory (Approximately 225 words)
Part 4: Sociocultural Approach
Select a theory from the social and cultural or interpersonal
relationship approach from the course textbook. Refer to the
textbook or an academic source to explain the theory. Next,
apply the theory by explaining how the individual or character’s
mental disorder may have developed according to this theory
(Approximately 225 words)

7. Part 5:1 Treatment
Discuss what types of medical approaches (e.g., ECT,
prescription medications, psychosurgery, or current medical
devises) you recommend for the patient based on studies
showing its effectiveness in treating the disorder.
(Approximately 75 words)
Part 5:2 Treatment
Compare and contrast the side effects the patient may
experience from the selected type of medical approach and
support what benefits the treatment may have on the brain
chemistry or neurotransmitter activity. (Approximately 75
words)
Part 5:3 Treatment
Discuss what psychotherapy options you recommend for the
patient (i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy, or
exposure therapy). Do this by explaining how the chosen form
of psychotherapy would work and specifically how the patient
would benefit from it. (Approximately 100 words)

8. Part 5:4 Treatment
Provide both short and long-term goals for the patient’s
treatment plan. Include accomplishments or behavioral changes
you want to see in the patient. (Approximately 75 words)
Part 6: Conclusion
Defend which of the approaches can best explain the
development (or cause) of the case study’s mental disorder and
why your chosen treatment plan would be the most beneficial
plan for the patient. (Approximately 150 words)

9. References
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