Psychological Analysis of Pathological Behavior- Diagnosis Treatment and Coping Strategies

Psychological Analysis of Pathological Behavior- Diagnosis Treatment and Coping Strategies

The Good Doctor is an American medical series that was adopted from a South Korean film. The main character from this series is Dr. Shaun Murphy, a talented young surgeon who has Autism, which makes his job challenging compared to his colleagues. Very few TV shows and films portray characters with autistic syndromes, and the show Good Doctor is thus a good film that depicts how Autism manifests itself in society and workplaces. Autism spectrum disorders are a range of conditions in which individuals have challenges with repetitive behaviors, non-verbal communication, speech, and social skills (Hodges et al., 2020). The Autism affected Dr. Murphy and those around him.

Manifestation of Autism in Good Doctor

The symptoms of Autism are either mild or severe, depending on the individual.  Individuals with autism spectrum disorders have different characteristics, challenges, and abilities. Dr. Murphy in The Good Doctor has a savant syndrome due to his photographic memory abilities. Savant syndrome is a condition in which individuals with developmental disorders such as Autism have prodigious talents (Hughes et al., 2018). Hence the autistic symptoms that Dr. Murphy may have may not be the same as other autistic individuals since he is extremely smart. This is because there is no single definition of autism spectrum disorders where all individuals can fall. On the other hand, however, Dr. Murphy exhibits universal traits of Autism such as avoiding eye contact, low social cues, difficulties with communication, and struggle to deal with individuals at a personal level.

Dr. Murphy also has social awkwardness and always plays with his hands in stressful situations. His poor communication skills have often been depicted in the show, and he does not understand communication styles like sarcasm. Furthermore, Dr. Murphy is sometimes insensitive with his statements or actions but often does not realize that his behavior, words, or actions affect those around him. He is sometimes blunt with patients and fails to treat them with empathy.

DSM-V Diagnosis

The DSM has several criteria that an individual must have to be diagnosed with ASD (299.00 (F84.0). The first criterion is constant deficits in social interaction and social communication, as manifested by deficits in social and emotional reciprocity (American Psychiatric Association (APA), 2013). Dr. Murphy has reduced the sharing of emotions. This criterion is also depicted deficits in non-verbal communication utilized in social interactions (APA, 2013). Dr. Murphy lacks eye contact and poorly integrates non-verbal and verbal communication. It is also depicted by deficits in the development, maintenance, and understanding of relationships (APA, 2013). Murphy has difficulties adjusting his behaviors to suit some social contexts. He has his way of doing things that must be done exactly the way he wants them done. The second criterion is repetitive, restrictive patterns of activities, interests, or behavior, as depicted by at least two symptoms. The first symptom is repetitive motor movements (APA, 2013). Shaun always rubs his hands in high-stress situations. The second symptom is inflexible adherence to routines (APA, 2013). Dr. Murphy arranges his utensils and tissues in a specific way.

The third criterion is that symptoms must have existed in the early developmental stages (APA, 2013), and Shaun started developing these symptoms at an early age. The fourth criterion is that the symptoms result in clinically significant impairments in occupation or social aspects of life (APA, 2013). Shaun had a lot of issues communicating with patients at work. The final criterion is that symptoms are not explained by intellectual disabilities (APA, 2013). Shaun does not have intellectual disabilities. He is a top surgeon who is extremely smart.

Psychological Model for ASD

Psychological models of autism try to explain how individuals with ASD process information about the environment and other people. They attempt to explain thinking style and characteristic behavior. Some models focus on non-social or social traits and are not mutually exclusive, while others try to bring these cues together into one framework. The theory of mind hypothesizes difficulty in understanding the thoughts and points of view of other people (Rosello et al., 2020). This theory was developed by autism researchers in the 1980s who wanted to understand why autistic individuals always misunderstood social situations and were unaware of the feelings of other individuals. The impairment of this theory relates to ASD, which is depicted by difficulties in social communication and interactions (Rosello et al., 2020).

The theory of mind is all about comprehending other people’s mental states, beliefs, intentions, and values. A link has been suggested between the theory of mind difficulties and the “literal-mindedness” in autism (Rosello et al., 2020). In everyday life situations, individuals often say one thing while actually intending or meaning something else. An example is how individuals speak ironically or sarcastically. Many individuals with autism do not understand sarcasm or irony, hence the state of “literal-mindedness.”

Treatment of Autism

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be used to treat autism, and CBT helps to replace negative problematic behavior with more positive behaviors (Kring & Johnson, 2018). Many behavioral therapists have used CBT to treat individuals with ASD. Behavioral-targeted interventions can help these individuals to learn new appropriate behaviors such as communication skills, self-help skills, and areas of speech (Kring & Johnson, 2018). Behavioral therapies use CBT intending to replace dysfunctional behaviors with new positive behaviors. Open conditioning can be used to reinforce positive behaviors, and every time the client performs well in certain aspects, the therapist rewards the client. If this strategy is carefully planned and executed, it can produce positive and functional behaviors (Kring & Johnson, 2018).

This treatment would be effective for Dr. Murphy since he has issues with communication and insensitivity, and he cannot understand social cues or sarcasm. CBT will help address these behaviors of Shaun, which are considered abnormal or dysfunctional. This will include repetitive motor actions and insensitivity. CBT will help Shaun to deal with his social awkwardness when interacting with his colleagues or patients. It will make Shaun more comfortable in his work environment and make him more confident in his abilities to be empathetic and sensitive towards his patients.

CBT will also help Dr. Murphy to make eye contact when interacting with his colleagues or other patients. This will show concern and attentiveness. It will help Shaun to be aware of his motor movements when expressing himself. This will help him appear normal, and hence, he will be able to integrate efficiently with his colleagues and patients.

Conclusion

Dr. Shaun Murphy is a highly skilled fictional character in ABC’s Good Doctor. He is an autistic savant who is smart but with many deficits in social cues, affecting his personal and professional life. Dr. Murphy meets all the DSM-V criteria for the diagnosis of ASD.  Many psychological models can explain ASD, but the one I feel is more appropriate is the “Theory of Mind.”. It attempts to explain the reasons why autistic individuals do not understand other people’s feelings and values. CBT is one of the treatment modalities that can be used to manage ASD.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5®). American Psychiatric Pub.

Hodges, H., Fealko, C., & Soares, N. (2020). Autism spectrum disorder: Definition, epidemiology, causes, and clinical evaluation. Translational Pediatrics, 9(S1), S55-S65. https://doi.org/10.21037/tp.2019.09.09

Hughes, J. E., Ward, J., Gruffydd, E., Baron-Cohen, S., Smith, P., Allison, C., & Simner, J. (2018). Savant syndrome has a distinct psychological profile in autism. Molecular Autism, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-018-0237-1

Kring, A. M., & Johnson, S. L. (2018). Abnormal psychology: The science and treatment of psychological disorders. John Wiley & Sons.

Rosello, B., Berenguer, C., Baixauli, I., García, R., & Miranda, A. (2020). Theory of mind profiles in children with autism spectrum disorder: Adaptive/Social skills and pragmatic competence. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.567401

Locate a book, movie, television, or streaming series that portrays a character with a personality disorder or childhood disorder (e.g., characters from the movies Mean Girls, Girl Interrupted, Conspiracy Theory or TV/streaming shows: Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, The Good Doctor, Atypical, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend).

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In an essay of 1,000-1,250 words, address the following:

Manifestations of pathological behavior for the character.
Possible diagnosis for the character with justification (use current DSM diagnostic codes).
The psychological model that best explains the cause of the symptoms/behaviors. Based on this model, explain a possible treatment plan, including how the character can modify these behaviors to cope.

Use the GCU Library databases and include two to four scholarly sources from the GCU Library to support your claims. In addition to the scholarly resources from the library, you can include past classroom materials, your textbook, and credible internet-based sources (.org, .edu, .mil, .gov). Perdue as well

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines in the APA Style Guide, which is located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric before beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.