INTRODUCTION TO CASE STUDY:

Case study is in-depth investigations of a single person, group, event or community. Typically,
data are gathered from a variety of sources and by using several different methods (e.g.,
observations and interviews)

In psychology, case studies are often confined to the study of particular individual.

The information is mainly biographical and relates to events in individual’s past as well as to
significant events which are currently occurring in his or her everyday life

A few strengths of case study are:

 Provides detailed (rich quality) information.

 Provides insight for further research.
 Permitting investigation of otherwise impractical (or unethical) situations.

case studies allow a researcher to investigate a topic in far more detail than might be possible.

Because of their in-depth, multi-sided approach case studies often shed light on aspects of
human thinking and behavior that would be unethical or impractical to study in other
ways.

Case studies are widely used in psychology and amongst the best known were the ones carried
out by Sigmund Freud.

Case study is a method that should only be used by a psychologist, therapist, or psychiatrist, i.e.,
someone with professional qualification.

1
PROCEDURE OF CASE STUDY
The procedure used in a case study means that researcher provides a description of the behavior.
This comes from interviews and observations.

The client also reports detail of events from his or her point of you the researcher then rights of
the information from both sources above as the case study and interprets the information.

The research may also continue for an extended period of time.

Amongst source of data the psychologist is likely to refer to his/her observations of a person's
daily routine, unstructured interviews with participant herself, diaries, personal notes or
official documents.

The case study method often involves simple observing what happens to, or reconstructing ‘the
case history’ of a single participant or group of individuals.

LIMITATONS OF CASE STUDY:

 Researchers’ own subjective feeling may influence the case study (researcher bias).
 Difficult to replicate.
 Time consuming and expensive.
 The volume of data and time restriction impacted on the depth of analysis.
 lack of significant rigor and providing little basis for generalization.

Because the case study deals with only one person even groups this mean the conclusion drawn
from particular case may not be Transferable to other settings.
There is a lot of scope for observer bias and it could be that the subjective opinions of the
psychologist intrude in assessment of what the data means.

2
METHODS OF CASE STUDY
 Observation of behavior, characteristics, and social qualities by the researcher.
 Use of questionnaires, opinions, inventories, checklists and other psychological test.
 Analysis of recorded data from schools, colleges, clinics, courts, newspapers and similar
sources
 Interviewing the subject’s friends, relatives and significant others.
 Participant observation which involves the researcher actually serving as participant in
events and observing the actions and outcomes.

OBJECTIVES OF CASE STUDY:

In general, the most common objectives of a case study are the following:
 Generalized knowledge obtained to all similar cases.
 Explore reality to later formulae theory.
 Describe what happens in the case.
 Explain the causes that cause it.

CASE STUDY:
M.A. (26 age, female) married (2 years) was seen purging her food and was confronted by her
cousin. Her sister was worried about her, as she saw M.A. starving herself and had lost a
lot of weight. M.A. was easily startled and always looked so dull. She checked her weight
daily and always had a stoic look on her face.
On interviewing M.A., it was observed that she was very distant and did not like talking a lot.
She squirmed a lot and was fidgeting her fingers throughout the interview. When talked
about her weight loss she gave a very vague answer and had a very indifferent opinion
about her in-laws.

3
BIOLOGICAL DATA:
NAME: M.A.
AGE:26 YEARS
DATE OF BIRTH: 14 JUNE 1997
PLACE OF BIRTH: DELHI
GENDER: FEMALE
HEIGHT: 5’6 Ft
WEIGHT: 48Kgs
MARITALE STATUS: MARRIED (TWO YEARS)
KIDS: NONE
EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: B.A IN DESIGN (INTERIOR DESIGN), M.A. IN
DESIGN (INTERIOR DESIGN)
INSTITUTE ASSOCIATED WITH: AMITY UNIVERSITY
PLACE OF EDUCATION: NOIDA

PERSONAL HISTORY:
The subject is a single daughter. She lost her mother when she was in 12th grade (17 years old)
due to a car accident. She was exceptionally good in her academics, wanted to become an
interior designer and did her M.A. in design from AMITY University. But at the age of
24 she was married off and since then she has become very distant and quiet. Her
demeanor has shifted from happy and outgoing to cold and sad. She has isolated herself
and is reluctant to talk to anyone. She has lost a lot of weight and is always tired. The subject
finds difficulty sleeping and does not have an appetite. The subject also opened about her
frequent emotional breakdowns at night and would cry herself to sleep on numerous
occasions.

4
 FAMILY DETAILS:
NAME OF FATHER: S.B.
AGE: 60 YEARS
QUALIFICATION: BCom
OCCUPATION: BUSINESSMAN
NAME OF THE MOTHER: R.B. (NO MORE)
NAME OF THE HUSBAND: M.A.
AGE: 26YEARS
QUALIFIACTIONS: MTech
OCCUPATION: SOFTWARE DEVELOPER

MEDICAL HISTORY:
SUBJECT: NONE
FATHER: DIABETIC
HUSBAND: BLOOD PRESSURE

INTERVIEW WITH THE SUBJECT:

1. How are you feeling at the moment?
Lost? Confused? Sad? I don’t really know.
2. Can you tell me about yourself?
I wanted to become an interior designer, I loved art and use to travel a lot but now I am a housewife and
have lost my spark.
3. What do think made you so distant and confused about yourself?
After the marriage I couldn’t pursue my passion and that my in-laws always criticize me about my work
and how I look. My husband doesn't support me or defend me whenever she yells at me. My
mother-in-law has always been harsh on me and makes do all the household chores. I haven’t
met my friends in so long. It is just exhausting how I can’t do anything I want or like.
4. You seem to have lost a lot of weight, any specific reason?

5
It’s nothing! It’s probably because of not sleeping well or all the work I have been doing.
5. What do you do to cope with all the stress you go through?
I don’t really do anything. I'm always busy with all the chores so I don’t find time for anything else.
6. Your cousin mentioned seeing you puke on numerous occasions?
I just wasn’t feeling well, it’s nothing!
7. Do you share your feelings with anyone?
No. I don’t as it’s much of a hassle and plus no one would listen to me.
8. Is there something you feel or do which is not like you or out of your character?
I don’t know what I am anymore, but I have not been sleeping well and I have little to no appetite. I
also have emotional breakdowns where I cry for hours at night till I am asleep. I was always the
one who loved food and my sleep but now they are something I have been

INFERENCE:
While interviewing my subject, she was finding it difficult to keep up with the conversation. She
looked very dull and tired. There were a few questions where she was hesitant to answer
or was too quick to answer indicating that she was lying and didn’t want to discuss about
it. When I asked about her weight loss, she was quick to say “nothing!” in a very
panicked voice as if she was caught doing something. One of the subject's cousin
mentioned about how she had seen M.A. puking her food; when I asked the subject about
it, she was quick to brush it off by saying she was sick. The subject also mentioned about
losing interest and not knowing what is happening around her or how she is always very
lost and tired. She also talks about her emotional breakdowns and her eating and sleeping
pattern. Which seems quite concerning.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
The subject might have Anorexia Nervosa and maybe Depression too. Anorexia because she
starves herself and purges out the food she eats as her mother-in-law criticizes her about
her looks and depression because she is always lost, tired, confused, or who she is not
able to sleep properly and experiences emotional breakdowns it could be due to the fact

6
 that she is was not allowed to pursue her passion and how she doesn’t have anyone to talk
to and her in-laws including her husband are always hard on her and she doesn’t have the
freedom to do what she want or like. She seems to have lost the purpose of her life.

TREATMENT:
ANOREXIA:
 Hospitalization and other programs:
 If the subject’s life is in immediate danger, she may need treatment in a hospital
emergency room for issues such as a heart rhythm disturbance, dehydration, electrolyte
imbalances or a psychiatric emergency. Hospitalization may be required for medical
complications, severe psychiatric problems, severe malnutrition, or continued refusal to eat.
 Some clinics specialize in treating people with eating disorders. They may offer day
programs or residential programs rather than full hospitalization. Specialized eating disorder
programs may offer more intensive treatment over longer periods of time.

 Restoring a healthy weight

The first goal of treatment is getting back to a healthy weight. One can't recover from anorexia
without returning to a healthy weight and learning proper nutrition. Those involved in
this process may include:
 Primary care doctor, who can provide medical care and supervise the calorie
needed and weight gain
 A psychologist or other mental health professional, who can work with the
subject to develop behavioral strategies to help them return to a healthy weight
 A dietitian, who can offer guidance getting back to regular patterns of eating,
including providing specific meal plans and calorie requirements that help you
meet your weight goals
 Family, who will likely be involved in helping them maintain normal eating
habits.

 Psychotherapy
7
These types of therapy may be beneficial for anorexia:
 Family-based therapy. This is the only evidence-based treatment for teenagers
with anorexia. Because the teenager with anorexia is unable to make good choices
about eating and health while in the grips of this serious condition, this therapy
mobilizes parents to help their child with re-feeding and weight restoration until
the child can make good choices about health.
 Individual therapy. For adults, cognitive behavioral therapy — specifically
enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy — has been shown to help. The main goal
is to normalize eating patterns and behaviors to support weight gain. The second
goal is to help change distorted beliefs and thoughts that maintain restrictive
eating.

 Medications
 No medications are approved to treat anorexia because none has been
found to work very well.

DEPRESSION:

 PSYCHOTHERAPY:
 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):
 In cognitive behavior therapy a therapist will work with the subject to uncover unhealthy
patterns of thought and identify how they may be causing harmful behaviors, reactions, and
beliefs about oneself.
 Therapist might also assign ‘homework’ where the subject practices replacing negative
thoughts with more positive thoughts.

 Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT):

 Dialectical behavior therapy is similar to CBT but puts a specific emphasis on validation
or accepting uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and behaviors instead of fighting them.
8
 The theory is that by coming to terms with your harmful thoughts or emotions you can
accept that change is possible and make a recovery plan.

 Light Therapy:
 Exposure to doses of white light can help regulate your mood and improve symptoms of
depression.
 Light therapy is commonly used in seasonal affective disorder, now called major
depressive disorder with seasonal patterns.

 Electroconvulsive Theary (ETC)

 Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) uses electrical currents to induce a seizure and has been
shown to help people with clinical depression. It’s used in people with severe depression or
depression that is resistant to other treatments or antidepressant medications.
 During an ECT procedure, you will receive an anesthetic agent which will put you to
sleep for approximately 5 to 10 minutes.
 Your healthcare professional will place cardiac monitoring pads on your chest and four
electrodes on specific areas of your head. They will then deliver short electrical pulses for a few
seconds. You will neither convulse nor feel the electrical current and will awaken about 5 to 10
minutes after treatment.
 Side effects include headaches, nausea, muscle aches and soreness, and confusion or
disorientation.
 Patients may also develop memory problems, but these usually reside in the weeks and
months after treatment

 MEDITATION:
Stress, anxiety, and anger are triggers of depression, but meditation can help change the way
your brain responds to these emotions. Studied trusted sources show that meditation

9
 practices can help improve symptoms of depression and lower your chances of a
depression relapse.

 MEDICATION
Many types of antidepressants are available, including those below.
 Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
 Doctors often start by prescribing an SSRI.
 These drugs are considered safer and generally cause fewer bothersome side effects than
other types of antidepressants.

 Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).

 Examples of SNRIs include duloxetine (Cymbalta), venlafaxine (Effexor XR),
desvenlafaxine (Pristiq, Khedezla) and lev milnacipran (Fetzima).

 Atypical antidepressants.
 These medications don't fit neatly into any of the other antidepressant categories

 Tricyclic antidepressants.
 These drugs can be very effective but tend to cause more-severe side effects than newer
antidepressants. So, tricyclics generally are not prescribed unless you have tried an SSRI first
without improvement.

 Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).

 MAOIs may be prescribed, typically when other drugs have not worked, because they
can have serious side effects.
 Using MAOIs requires a strict diet because of dangerous (or even deadly) interactions
with foods — such as certain cheeses, pickles, and wines — and some medications and herbal
supplements.

10
 Selegiline (Emsam), a newer MAOI that sticks on the skin as a patch, may cause fewer
side effects than other MAOIs do.
 These medications cannot be combined with SSRIs.

 Other medications.
 Other medications may be added to an antidepressant to enhance antidepressant effects.
 Your doctor may recommend combining two antidepressants or adding medications such
as mood stabilizers or antipsychotics.
 Anti-anxiety and stimulant medications also may be added for short-term use.

CONCLUSION:
From the above information it might be possible that the patient may have anorexia nervosa and
depression too. By either going to psychotherapy or to hospitals for proper treatment the

11
 subject might help herself with all her problems. The subject may also pick up few
hobbies to keep her mind off the things.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
 Psychology Textbook of Class Xii, National Council of Education, Research, And
Training.
 https://www.mayoclinic.org/ - Treatment of depression and anorexia.

12