Case Study

Derek is a 25-year-old male who recently moved back in with his parents after his girlfriend was killed by a drunk driver 2 months ago. He had been dating his girlfriend for the past 3.5 years. As she was walking across a busy intersection to meet him for lunch, she was hit by a passing vehicle. He still vividly remembers the horrifying scene as the drunk driver ran the red light, plowing down his girlfriend right before his eyes. He ran to the scene, embracing her crumpled body as she died in his arms in the middle of the crosswalk. He keeps trying to erase the scene from his memory, but can’t seem to stop reliving the entire incident as if it was happening all over.

Derek has been having nightmares about the accident almost every night since the accident. He had to quit his job because his office was located in the building right next to the little café where he was meeting his girlfriend for lunch the day she died. The few times he attempted to return to work were unbearable for him. He has since avoided that entire area of town.

Normally an outgoing, fun-loving guy, Derek has become increasingly withdrawn and irritable since his girlfriend’s death. He’s stopped going to the gym, playing his guitar, or going out with his friends – all activities he once really enjoyed. His parents worry about how detached and emotionally flat he’s become.

Answer the following questions in essay format about Derek’s condition:

• Observation: What are some of the observations you can make about Derek’s current state of health and well-being based on the information you have?
• Question: What question (or questions) would you formulate about his condition to help you arrive at a diagnosis?
• Hypothesis: What do you currently know about short- and long-term stress and its effects on the body that can help you arrive at a hypothesis about his condition? Incorporate your knowledge of stress and inflammation to help you develop at least one hypothesis concerning his condition.
• Experiment: How could you collect data to help you answer your questions above? Remember, you do not have a control in this scenario, so you must evaluate the case based on Derek’s symptoms alone. Do a bit of research on the technology available today that could help you evaluate his condition. Examples of new technology include brain imaging, blood chemistry, hormone level tests, CAT scans, MRIs, and DNA mapping.
• Result: Now that you have some additional information, briefly and in simple terms, describe how you would test any missing information about Derek’s condition.
• Conclusion: Do you have any conclusions regarding what condition Derek may be suffering from? Review different types of research methods at the following site: https://explorable.com/research-designs. Research and describe some of the strengths and weaknesses of the case study design under “Descriptive Methods”. How would you contrast the case study design with a true experimental design (found under the heading “Experimental Designs).

For this assignment, answer all questions in an essay format. Answer each question under the subtitle “Observation”, “Hypothesis”, etc. using complete sentences that relate back to the question. Use APA formatting to cite any sources used and be sure to include a reference section at the end of your assignment that lists any resources you used to complete your answers. Please use scholarly references such as a peer-reviewed journal article or a government-sponsored or university-sponsored website. As you read, take notes from your sources and then write your paper in your own words, describing what you have learned from your research. Direct quotes should be limited and must be designated by quotation marks. Paraphrased ideas must give credit to the original author, for example (Murray, 2014)