Using your previously submitted outline as a guide, you will write a diagnostic
evaluation report of the same fictional character from your outline (who must be from a well-known movie,
book, or television program that has a diagnosis covered in the class). IMAGINE THAT THE CHARACTER
HAS LEFT THE MOVIE/BOOK/SHOW AND WALKED INTO YOUR CLINICAL OFFICE. HOW WOULD
HE/SHE RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTIONS? Please write the final report in narrative format, using complete
sentences, NOT bullet points. The outline is below; please label each section of the paper as the outline
suggests and address all of the information in the outline. The paper must conform to APA standards in terms
of citations, references, and formatting (though no abstract is needed). Papers should be 4-6 pages. It is up to
you to choose a case with enough complexity to fulfill the length requirement. All citations must be fully
referenced. Do not reference what you did not cite. Please refer to the current edition of the American
Psychological Association Publication Manual for further information on APA citations.
There is a lot of information on the internet to help you choose a case, for example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_featuring_mental_disorders (Links to an external site.)
Paper Submission Guidelines: Papers must be submitted in Microsoft Word or text entry format through
Canvas. Papers that appear to be plagiarized may be submitted by instructor through Turnitin, which will
assign a similarity score to the outline if the content is too similar to published documents or other student
papers. You will lose 1 percentage point from your grade on the paper for every 1 percentage point beyond
10%. Papers with similarity scores that exceed 30% will not be awarded any points and a phone meeting with
the instructor will be required. If your papers similarity score is beyond 20% you are advised to contact the
instructor to discuss strategies to reduce this score in the future. Plagiarism or other forms of academic
dishonesty will not be tolerated and will result in at least an automatic “F” for the assignment (also see FSU
regulations).
Diagnostic Evaluation Guidelines
Please follow the outline format very closely on your final paper.
Please use the major headings in your paper, and try to address all of the components for each section.
If you do not have the information in question, you can state that you are not aware of the client’s current status
regarding that area (though you should not have to write that very often).
If the book, movie, or TV show does not provide you with much information about your character, it may be
wise to select a character from another source that provides more detail.
It is also permissible to take some creative license and fill in the blanks if you feel it will bring your character to
life.
For this reason, I ask that you only choose fictional (not real) characters. Please do not choose a
book/show/movie that portrays the life of a real person, alive or deceased.
While it is helpful to report some information about the client’s family and friends, please avoid the mistake of
over-analyzing a family member. Keep the focus on the client.
I DO NOT need a plot summary. Only share what is relevant to the client’s diagnosis and DO NOT start
detailing what happened in the movie. I should feel like I am reading about a real person that you met, not
about a movie or show.
Please follow APA format. Cite sources. Provide a references page. Double space. Etc.
I will be looking to see that you incorporated feedback from the outline on your final paper
Please use the following your outline to write your paper. Maintain the headings and order of information but
change your bullet points into a narrative format.
Demographic Information:
Age
Sex
Race/Ethnicity
Culture
Religion
Marital/Relationship status
Any other pertinent information, but keep this section somewhat short and to-the-point. You will elaborate later.
Current Problems/Presenting Problems: 
Provide a thorough account of the reason client came to see you and/or was brought to you by friends/family.
Detail will help here (but do not do a plot summary).
Problematic symptoms
Frequency of symptoms (how often do they occur?)
Duration of symptoms (how long have they been present?
Severity of symptoms (how serious are they?)
Symptom triggers (do certain events or situations seem to trigger the symptoms
Social and Occupational History:
Information on family of origin including ethnic/cultural information – where did client grow up? Who did client
live with? Were parents married/separated/estranged? Any siblings? Strong ties with Grandparents? Etc.
General information on childhood
Traumatic events
History of abuse
Notable events
Occupational history
Current employment
Past employment
Employment struggles/successes
Educational history
Highest level of education achieved
Educational struggles/successes
Current family constellation
General information on spouse/partner (remember to focus on your client’s symptoms, you are only diagnosing
one person; report whatever you think may be impacting your client)
General information on children and close family members
Is client satisfied with current family situation?
Psychiatric History
Provide history of mental health diagnoses prior to when you met the client as well as any treatment received
Include a family history of psychiatric conditions in this section (if no history state that there is no family history
Medical History
Note all medical conditions the client has (these are conditions that are not psychiatric in nature, such as
diabetes)
Especially for conditions that might impact mental functioning, provide details about treatment, prognosis, etc.
For example, is the client managing their diabetes well?
Diagnostic Summary
First, summarize the information you obtained in your report in 1-2 paragraphs (hint: focus on what most
directly connects to your diagnosis
Explain each diagnosis you made and why
Specifically list which criteria from the DSM the client meets
Explain any other diagnoses you considered and explain why you ultimately ruled them out
Provide a brief prognosis – is this treatable? Will the client have a good quality of life?
Provide a brief treatment plan
What type of therapy would be beneficial?
Would you refer this client to a psychiatrist for medication?
Does this client need to be hospitalized immediately?