Assessment 82

In this assessment, complete an assessment of a criminal offender based on a case study.

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Introduction

We do not know everything about the mental illness-crime relationship, but mental illness does have an impact on behavior, how individuals are perceived, and how others interact with the individual. Your work here will help you explore possible answers to the question of whether and how mental illness impacts involvement in crime, as well as how forensic professionals deal with the challenges of interacting and working with individuals with mental disorders within criminal justice systems. Assessment 2 focuses on a case study; you’ll consider various origins and contributors to the criminal or deviant behavior of a particular individual.

NOTE: It’s recommended that you complete this assessment before Assessment 3; Assessment 3 will be a continuation of this case study analysis.

Preparation

Complete the following to prepare for this assessment:

· View the 

Criminal Offenders: Case Studies
 (DOWN BELOW) presentation. Choose one of the cases presented as the focus for your work in this assessment.

· 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 relevant to the case.

· At least one article on the assessment you chose.

Instructions

Carefully follow the directions on the 

Case Study Assessment Form [DOCX]
. Fill out each of the sections on the form. (ON OTHER ATTACHMENT)

Be sure you review the Case Study Assessment
 scoring guide
 to ensure that you have met all the criteria for this assessment.

Submission Requirements

Submit your 

Case Study Assessment Form [DOCX]
.

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 factors.

· Interpret behavior based on learning and situational factors.

· Interpret behavior based on developmental and protective factors.

· Competency 2: Apply reliability and validity and generalizability to research findings and assessments.

· Apply reliability, validity, and generalizability to chosen assessment.

· 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

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.”