Case Studies Flashcards
Key factors that affect rates and expression of mental disorders:
- Several factors affect the rates and expression of mental disorders, including socioeconomic disadvantage, chronic stress, abuse, inadequate childcare, low birth weight, parental mental illness, new social pressures, and cultural influences. A child’s biological sex, racial and ethnic background, and cultural surroundings all contribute to how mental health concerns are expressed and recognized by others.
Jeffrey Case Study
This study tracked the long-term development of children born in Kauai in 1955, many of whom were exposed to risk factors such as poverty and parental mental illness. The study identified factors that contributed to resilient functioning, such as temperament, peer relations, self-concept, and emotional support.
Kauai Longitudinal Study
Tracked the long-term development of an entire cohort of children born on Kauai 1955 (N = 837)
Chose Kauai because had a lot of poverty and most people stay on the island for their whole lives
Multiethnic, ½ living in poverty
Longitudinal study: assessed children and families (family dynamics studied before birth) prenatally, at birth, age 2, age 10, age 18, and age 32
What pathways in life led boys and girls from adverse childhoods to successful adaptation in adulthood?
Group comparisons:
RESILIENT group:
42 girls and 30 boys had 4+ risk factors before age 2, but functioned normally at ages 10 and 18 years
All were born poor; in addition, significant % had alcoholic and/or mentally ill parents; constitutional vulnerability (e.g., lbw, anoxia)
NON-RESILIENT group:
Matched for age, sex, and risk status
Serious coping problems at ages 10 and/or 18 years
Predictors of resilient functioning
Findings from Kauai study:
Temperament: calm, agreeable, friendly dispositions
Peer relations: better
Self-concept: high self-esteem
Family size: smaller family sizes were more protected
On the island at that time, family sizes were huge (5-8 children per family)
Quality of parent-child relationship
Found emotional support outside families
Resilient functioning reflects “ordinary magic” (Masten, 2001)
Especially the availability of loving and supportive relationships
Case study: resilient child in Kauai Study → Cathy
Cathy, from birth to age 32
Born to unmarried high school students, family was unstable and very poor
At age 2 mom was rated as emotionally stable by public health nurse that came to visit them
Cathy was rated as agreeable and cooperative
At age 10, family was still extremely poor, but support/stimulation in home were adequate
Teacher described her as an average student who was cooperative and pleasant
Age 14, big family stressor → parents separate and have a divorce
Divorce was amicable, but Cathy went to live at her dad’s and substitute as a mother for her sublings
Dreamed of going to college and having a career but decided to pursue a full-time job to establish independence ASAP, TURNING POINT AT 18
At age 32, her first marriage fell apart when her husband deserted her after 3 years
Tried to kill herself
Suvrived and progressed to having a very happy second marriage
Accomplished her life goals by the end of the study
Majority of non-resilient kids in the study did better as adults, learned to adjust their behavior
Not everyone, but majority had upwards swing
Learned how to adjust their behaviors as adults
Kauai Study and Cathy Case Study
