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Psychology vocabulary · Assessment and Diagnosis

Case formulation

Meaning in psychology, with examples

nounCommon term

In psychology, case formulation means: A shared, working explanation of how a client's problems developed and what keeps them going, built from the assessment and used to plan therapy.

In Turkish: vaka formülasyonu, olgu formülasyonu

How it is used

Often just called formulation, especially in UK clinical psychology. Clinicians develop, share and revise a formulation; CBT formulations often include predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating and protective factors (the 4 Ps).

Example sentences

  1. We drew the case formulation together on the whiteboard in the third session.

  2. Her case formulation links early criticism, perfectionism and her current burnout.

Common collocations

  • develop a case formulation
  • share the formulation
  • CBT formulation
  • the 4 Ps
  • assessmentThe process of gathering information about a person through interviews, observation and tests in order to understand their difficulties and plan help.
  • diagnosisThe process of identifying which mental or physical condition explains a person's difficulties, or the name of the condition that is identified.
  • cognitive behavioural therapyA structured, time-limited form of psychotherapy that helps people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that keep their problems going.
  • comorbidityThe presence of two or more disorders in the same person at the same time, such as depression together with an anxiety disorder.

More terms: Assessment and Diagnosis

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