A Beautiful Mind Psychology Assignment

1. Thinking about the material presented in class this week regarding symptoms of schizophrenia and of bipolar disorder, which of the disorders do you think was most appropriate for Nash? What symptoms of this disorder were most vividly depicted in the film? Cite 3 examples from the film illustrating those symptoms – what a clinician, like you, would take note of that would help you make an accurate diagnosis. ○ This disorder seemed most like schizophrenia and I believe a diagnosis of schizophrenia was most appropriate for Nash. According to DSM-V, one of the main criteria for a schizophrenia diagnosis include having two or more of the following: (1) delusions, (2) hallucinations, (3) disorganized speech, (4) grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior, (5) negative symptoms, each symptom should present for a “significant portion of time during a 1-month period” and “at least one of the symptoms must be (1), (2), or (3)”. ○ The symptoms that were most vividly depicted were hallucinations, delusions and disorganized speech. Although disorganized speech did not appear in the film as often, that scene in the conference stood out to me and I believe it was a clear depiction of the symptom. ○ Examples in Nash’s case illustrating these symptoms: i. Hallucinations: John experienced visual hallucinations as he saw the “presences” of Charles, Pacher and Marcee. He also experienced auditory hallucination, which made him engage in conversation with them, as he was able to “hear” their (imaginary) speech. ii. Delusions: John’s delusions include believing that he was invited to work for the Department of Defense under the agent William Parcher, and the agent was trying to control him against his will. As an illustration, he checked his environment through the window blinds very frequently as he firmly believed that he was being followed/ spied on. iii. Disorganized Speech: John presented a disorganized speech in the mathematical conference, which was caused by the delusion he had of believing that the soviet spies were coming for him and the hallucination of “seeing” the soviet spies. 2. Was there anything in the case that made you consider, even briefly, whether the other disorder (schizophrenia or bipolar disorder) might have instead been the correct diagnosis? If so, explain what you saw that made you wonder? ○ Yes, I did briefly consider that John might be experiencing some symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. I considered the possibility of John experiencing a depressive episode at the beginning of the film, where his mentor told him that his record does not warrant for any placement at all, and he was severely depressed. However, he did not appear to have a manic episode nor other intense emotions except for the instance mentioned above. In addition, bipolar disorders do not include the criteria of hallucinations or delusions. Therefore, I eventually ruled out the possibility of John having Bipolar Disorder. 3. After viewing the film, what unresolved questions do you have for Professor McHale regarding the diagnosis of schizophrenia vs bipolar disorder? ○ Do people still use insulin shock therapy as a way to treat schizophrenia? Is it still legal to administer this practice in the United States nowadays? (I googled it and apa says it is “rarely used after 1960”, but it did not specify if it is still a legal practice or not). ○ What are some elements of the film that you think are not a valid reflection, or are exaggerated instances of schizophrenia symptoms? ○ What makes people vulnerable to schizophrenia? ○ My foster brother was misdiagnosed for bipolar disorder before being diagnosed with schizophrenia. Is it a common case? What does misdiagnosis look like in clinical practice - what questions asked by a clinician might likely lead to a misdiagnosis in the case of schizophrenia vs bipolar disorder?