Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology (EBPP) Adjustment - Case Study Example

Adjustment Case Study Adjustment Case Study To go to the detailed discussion and analysis of the selected video materials it should be mentioned that therapies cooperating with the physiological illnesses and problems vary a lot. One of the best available research integrations is evidence-based practice in psychology (EBPP), operating with patient characteristics, culture, and preferences, state, needs, values (Spring, 2007). It considers to be the treatment for a disorder, biopsychosocial condition or life problems (“Policy Statement on Evidence-Based Practice”, 2005). Among the most famous and most popular evidence-based strategies we can name cognitive behavioral therapy (effectively used during long term for post-traumatic stress disorders as well as anxiety and insomnia and other mental health illnesses), dialectical behavior therapy (teaching how to cope with stressful situations and regulate emotions easily), rational emotive behavior therapy. CBT and story of Sean Carter I would like to mention the conversation as a very effective way to relieve stress. Sometimes a person in a state of emotional stress just needs to talk – it can be enough to see the problem from another angle when you voice it. As a proof I would like to speak about the story of Sean Carter, student of Midwestern`s State University (“For An Injured Son”, 2015). Young man was a passenger of car driven by his drunken friend. Actually, most likely both two friends were in a state of alcohol intoxication. The Carter was seriously injured in the accident; he received traumatic brain injury with paralysis of body and vocal apparatus. Actions of his mother Jenny deserve special respect, she has become his caretaker. In this situation, both mother and son were stressed. Caring for a disabled person is excessively responsible and thankless task, significantly limiting freedom of movement, emotional expression, financial position, not to mention a serious blow to the psyche of the parent. Jenny she was devastated, however, in my opinion this word could hardly explain the feelings when you see your child – alive – but paralyzed. If further mother could keep her son morally, she was in harder situation - in fact in this case even support of friends cannot bring relief. In addition, for an elderly woman it is even physically difficult to be caretaker. As for Sean, in his opinion, the most difficult for him was to live a somewhat isolated life, without friends, love and opportunity to have a family of his own. In fact, being an invalid, he turned out to be behind life for two years - the time, during which it was possible to build a career and a family, was spent on recovery. Sean loses years, losing opportunities: even two years past he cannot be left alone and even communicates with the help of iPad. Such injuries have very serious impact on the human psyche, especially if they are not innate. Often people, who are bedridden, blame themselves that they tied themselves to the nurses or blame others for what happened to them. In addition, they, being cut off from society and habits, affected by idleness, begin to think about their grief and can get into a prolonged depression; to avoid such an outcome psychologist is recommended. In connection with the case above talking about the choice of treatment of possible depression and other mental diseases, I would have advised the cognitive behavioral therapy, which has proved to be the best in the treatment of depression, anxiety, phobias and panic attacks. At the base of the cognitive approach the assertion that emotions and behavior are determined by how one evaluates the world. The essence of the treatment will be to show that the concept of “unfriendly world” is the irrational basic assertion. Throughout the work, the responsibility for the psychological state will be gradually handed to the patient. As a result, the patient is expected to play the role of the therapist in relation to himself at the end of the therapy, self-questioning his own projections or conclusions, skillfully performing their correction. Cognitive therapy works when it is necessary to find new forms of behavior, to build the future, to fix the result. The benefits of this therapy, related to the particular case, are activity, structured plan, short-termed treatment, and symptom-oriented work. The goal of therapy will confirm that the victim (Sean Carter) would not be affected with systematic prejudice. Empiricism of cooperation lies in the fact that the therapist and the patient are employed in the study of facts that support or refute the cognition of the patient. Experts recommend the use of Socratic type of dialogue for the treatment of depression and low self-esteem, as conversation is the main therapeutic tool in cognitive therapy. In our case the deterioration of the injured boy can lead to more severe depression, suicidal thoughts, and as a result - the deterioration of overall physical condition. Cognitive therapy resorts to behavioral experiments designed to refute specific maladaptive beliefs. In behavioral experiments patient predicts result based on the automatic thoughts before starting, and then performs a pre-arranged with the therapist behavior and, finally, evaluates the results according to new experience. Why do I believe the boy needs to follow this strategy? The human is a social creature. Dropping out of society, out of the usual circle of friends and activities, he is often left alone with his thoughts, which rarely are happy. We are talking about long-term isolation and deprivation of the joys of life. Especially when we talk about young guy who is full of energy, but whose life has changed dramatically after severe trauma. Social and psychological rehabilitation is held to influence the human psychic sphere to form such qualities in the client and its environment that would facilitate maximum adaptation to the social environment in terms of health conditions and overcome in his mind ideas about unreachable rehabilitation. In the process of social and psychological adaptation human is included into interaction of his life system with the new regulations. This information he receives actively, correlating it with his past social experiences, with his previous value orientations. “Pain, But No Regrets” and REBT and DBT strategies The second story I have chosen to analyze in relation to the possible psychological impact and use of evidence-based strategies happened in California. The main problems of the participants are adoption problem, the problem of societys attitude to homosexuality, drug addiction and heredity. Thus, Bill Jones adopted little Aaron as he always wanted to have a son. He faced with a lot of troubles and also the fact that the boy was “turned down by about five couples” (“Pain, But No Regrets”, 2015). The story of the boy is tragic itself: he has a hereditary predisposition to drugs. In addition, his development also has been neglected. The first Bill `s desire was to turn him down too, but then he changed his decision. He notices that children understand that “theyve been rejected” (“Pain, But No Regrets”, 2015). This cannot but leave the impact on their future life. After Bill took the boy home, he discovered his son was suffering with schizophrenia. Aaron died at the age of 30 because of the heroin overdose, but his father does not regret as he loved the boy with all his heart. The story has a complete set of prerequisites for the development of the set of mental disorders of father as well as his son. I note again that the child was returned several times to the shelter. The fact that he was not a baby already gave him the awareness of this fact and had a negative effect on his character and mind; it could make him unstable, aggressive and sensitive to criticism. He is schizophrenic and potential drug addict. His adoptive father, being conscious and sensitive man, certainly faced a lot of stress due to the problem child. His strong attachment could also develop into depression later because the upbringing of such child requires remarkable patience and tact. Bill himself might be condemned for his sexual preferences and possible relationship with his son, whose subsequent early death certainly was a tragedy for him. In general in both cases a complex of treatment, formed on the basis of different therapies, may be recommended. I would recommend elements of dialectical and REBT therapies in addition to cognitive therapy. The strategy of REBT (rational emotive behavior therapy) of personality uses model “ABC” created by Ellis (2001), where: A is activating event. B is beliefs, irrational installation. C is emotional and behavioral consequences (McLeod, 2008). REBT is indicated for the treatment of diseases based on crucial psychological factors: adjustment disorder in the community and society, sexual disorders, neurosis, character disorder, antisocial behavior. It would be useful for Bill. It is widely used for behavioral and emotional state of students. What is its advantage in the context of Bill`s and Aaron`s story? REBT is rational and scientific, it uses rationality and science to help people to live and be happy. It also argues that there are no “inferior” people or worthy of damnation, no matter how unacceptable and antisocial behavior may be. It attaches with particular importance to will and choice in all human`s affairs, taking the probability that some peoples actions are partly determined by biological, social and other forces. Talking about dialectical therapy, let`s pay attention that it is used for people with depression and personality disorders, including schizophrenia. Also, this type of therapy is considered to be indispensable for the instability in the relationship and identity, fear of rejection, frequent mood changes, depression, irritability, and mental trauma. DBT is based on the assumption that people feel bad because some reasons. Perception of events that trigger strong emotions can be changed, but the emotions still remain. In our case the mental state of the boy was under threat in connection with his own feelings of unnecessary, otherness and social unsuitability due to the refusal of care. So, judging from the possible impacts and diseases I feel these therapies would serve in the best way, taking into account their general purpose. References Bonnie Spring (2007). Evidence-Based Practice in Clinical Psychology: What It Is, Why It Matters; What You Need to Know. Northwestern University. Retrieved from http://gsappweb.rutgers.edu/cstudents/forms/Spring%202007%20article.pdf Bonnie Spring, Molly Jean Ferguson, Debra Pender, Amy Starin. Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices. Retrieved from http://www.ebbp.org/course_outlines/implementationmoduleoutline.pdf Ellis, A. (2001). “Overcoming Destructive Beliefs, Feelings, and Behaviors: New Directions for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy”. Prometheus Books. For An Injured Son, Caring Mom Is The Picture Of Unconditional Love, recording Audio file (2015, February 6). Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2015/02/06/384212826/caring-mom-is-picture-of-unconditional-love-injured-son-says McLeod, S. A. (2008). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-therapy.html Pain, But No Regrets: A Father Remembers His Adopted Son recording Audio file (2015, February 20). Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2015/02/20/387309723/pain-but-no-regrets-a-father-remembers-his-adopted-son Policy Statement on Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology (2005). American Psychological Association Statement. Retrieved from http://www.apapracticecentral.org/ce/courses/ebpstatement.pdf Read More