Narcissism
October 27, 2020
Any topic (writer’s choice)
October 27, 2020
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Cite the DSM-5 (APA, 2013) to support your answer for questions

Write a total of 500 words to answer the three questions below.
Cite the DSM-5 (APA, 2013) to support your answer for questions 1 and 2, and cite at least one
meta-analysis or review article to support your answer for question 3. Use APA referencing style.
1/
(10 marks)
Your old friend, Mary, used to be a very outgoing person. Ever since youve known her, you both
loved going out together for drinks or eating out in restaurants, going shopping in large shopping
centers in the city, and playing team sports together with your friends.
However, Marys behaviour has recently changed. She now rarely leaves the house, and no longer
plays netball. Last week, you asked her out to dinner, but she said no. This sort of behaviour has
been happening for more than 8 months now.
Although Mary has not been attending any social functions, she is happy to talk to you on the phone
or on the internet. When you ask her, she tells you that she changed her behaviour because she is
nervous about getting a COVID-19 infection. Currently there are a small number of COVID-19 cases
in your city and they are remaining stable every day. Although Mary is young and healthy, she is
nervous that she may get infected and then pass it on to her parents with whom she shares a
household.
Therefore, even though it is not prohibited by the health authorities, Mary does not go out of the
house unless it is absolutely necessary. She says she finds it difficult to keep 1.5 meters away from
others when in a public place, and this makes her feel very anxious. Because of this, she has not
been going out shopping this year, either. Instead, she does most of her shopping via home delivery.
Mary tells you that she goes out for a walk or a jog in the park every day, but she prefers to do that
alone to make sure that she is keeping safe from a potential COVID-19 infection. After returning
from the park, she makes sure that she washes her hands very carefully, immediately after getting
inside her apartment. She then usually spends 10-15 minutes carefully cleaning inside her home, for
example, she wipes all frequently used surfaces, such as light switches, door handles or her mobile
phone, with a disinfectant.
Mary works from home and attends all work meetings on Zoom. She manages all her work-related
tasks online. She keeps up with her family and friends mainly online and has started a new hobby
creating art and crafts at home. Generally, she is in a good mood and quite content with her life at
the moment, despite these changes.
Considering that Marys behaviour has changed so much and that her anxiety keeps her from doing
her usual activities beyond what the health regulators recommend, you wonder if Mary has an
illness anxiety disorder.
Is Mary likely to have an illness anxiety disorder, or any other type of psychological disorder? Why or
why not? Justify your answer and give a diagnosis if you think it is appropriate.
2/
(10 marks)
A year later, there has been several successful treatments found for COVID-19, and most people are
vaccinated against the virus. You and Mary are meeting again in person, and she is playing netball
again.
However, you are both missing your other friend, Liz. Liz continues to refuse to leave her house for
fear of an infection. She does not go to restaurants and does not meet her friends in person. She
does not attend any social functions. She rarely leaves the house, and still gets most of her shopping
via home delivery. She is less available for talking to you on the phone, because she is so busy
cleaning and washing.
Liz spends several hours each day cleaning her home. She wipes all surfaces very carefully with a
disinfectant several times a day and washes her hands continuously, even when she does not leave
her apartment. If she needs to leave her home, she has a shower and washes her hair immediately
after returning home, then she scrubs the whole bathroom clean. This process takes her 2-3 hours to
perform each time.
If Liz runs out of disinfectant, or if she needs to leave the house for some reason, she gets very
anxious. To feel better, she increases her cleaning and washing the next day, to make sure that she
does not get infected.
Liz no longer works full time. When her supervisor asked her to return working at the office in the
city, Liz found it very difficult to do so. She refused to return to work for fear of getting an infection.
Instead, she decided to resign and is now working part time for an internet-only business and
earning a lot less money. Nevertheless, it is difficult for her to keep up with work demands, as she
spends so much time cleaning her keyboard, mouse and other set-up in her home office before and
after work.
Considering Lizs behaviour, you worry that she may have an illness anxiety disorder.
Does Liz likely to have an illness anxiety disorder, or any other type of psychological disorder? Why
or why not? Justify your answer and give a diagnosis if you think it is appropriate.
3/
(5 marks)
If you believe that either Mary or Liz has a psychological disorder, what treatment would you
recommend? Justify your answer.

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