A literature review of Case Formulation to inform Mental Health practice

Abstract

Changes in mental health provision have led to practitioners and service providers reviewing how they incorporate service users in assessment processes and treatment decisions. Case formulation (CF) is a framework that informs a choice of psychological treatments providing a bridge between assessment and treatment phases to guide treatment options. However, CF is not routinely practised in mental health; hence this paper reviews CF literature to establish its efficacy for service users experiencing mental health issues. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy, reliability and validity of CF and its process and function in providing treatment for service users experiencing mental health issues and to explore practitioner training requirements. A systematic search of English language publications on CF and treatment frameworks from 1999-2011 was conducted searching electronic databases. Additionally, two seminal pieces of CF work were included. The findings demonstrate evidence of CF's efficacy and suggest practitioner training programmes to increase professional expertise and enhance service user outcomes. However, limited evidence exists and further research is required to address efficacy and training implications of CF.

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists clinical practice guidelines for mood disorders

“…This has been termed the 5P model (see: Figure 4), but these are only a guide and may not be relevant to every person. In most instances there are one or two contributing factors from each component (Rainforth and Laurenson, 2014).…”

Occupational formulation: A three-part structure

“…Psychologists share this view, and since the 1950s they have developed a process known as psychological formulation to describe how they draw on their knowledge of psychological theory and evidence to collaboratively make sense of someone’s thoughts, feelings and meanings (British Psychological Society, 2011). Psychological formulation has gained authority within mental health settings and has been presented within the context of practice for nursing (Rainforth and Laurenson, 2014) and social work (Lee and Toth, 2016). Occupational therapists have, however, asserted that their perspective and professional reasoning skills are unique (Turner and Alsop, 2015).…”

Bipolar disorder: an update

“…Predisposing, precipitating and perpetuating factors as well as poor protective factors contribute significantly to the presenting episode, while strengthening resilience and treatment offers respite. 12 Identifying these factors during case formulation reinforces the foundation of a successful therapeutic relationship that is built on understanding individuals in the context of their unique circumstances, and facilitates biopsychosocial treatment interventions at multiple levels. 13 For instance, resilience, or the ability to adapt to and recover from stress, is a mitigating factor for all three phases of BD 14 and can be strengthened biologically (using lithium as a neuroprotective agent), psychologically (teaching cognitive reappraisal skills; online mindfulness-based therapy), socially (improving social support), and through lifestyle change (improving exercise habits).…”