Case Study 1
Teresa is a 32-year-old woman in your practice who frequently misses her appointments, and at
other times shows up without an appointment, often in crisis. She currently uses alcohol and
tobacco, and has started to use street drugs.
As you have developed a therapeutic relationship with Teresa, you learn that she grew up in a
household with a violent father who frequently assaulted her mother, her siblings and herself.
Although now estranged from her father, the impact of his violence presents itself on a daily
basis as Teresa struggles to cope with the trauma she experienced.
Teresa left school early, has few marketable skills and has never been able to hold a job for more
than three months. Teresa receives $606 per month from Ontario Works and has no money left
for food or other essentials at the end of the month. She is currently in a relationship with a man
whom you suspect may be violent
Case Study 2
Thomas, a 16-year-old high school student, visits you during class in distress. He tells you that
he’s being bullied at school because the kids think he is gay. Thomas tells you he thinks he might
be transexual, but that he is scared to tell anyone, and voices suicide ideation. He is not
supported at home: his mother and father, both professionals, work long hours and his older
sister picks on him. Thomas’s best friend since the age of 10 recently told him he didn’t want to
hang out with him anymore because he was “weird.” A few months ago another friend who was
picked on more than Thomas went missing. Rumor in the school indicates that he ended his life.
Case Study 3
Anthony, 29, is under the jurisdiction of your local provincial Mental Health Review Board on
your acute care ward. He’s in breach of a disposition because of repeated alcohol and marijuana
use; Anthony is also diagnosed with bipolar disorder and is currently prescribed olanzapine 10
mg and lithium 800 mg daily. He experiences mania when he uses substances, and the incident
that led to his review occurred when he was under the influence (he racked up over $100,000 in
property damages). He uses substances and alcohol due to the negative side effects (weight gain)
from his prescribed medications. Anthony is divorced and recently obtained regular visits with
his kids. He holds down a steady job in construction, but he’s worried about losing his
employment because he sometimes misses shifts.
Discuss the Biopsychosocial aspect of the case
Model of your choice, history
How you would apply the model to the case study
Any ethical and multicultural considerations