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Case studies

A step-by-step guide to planning and writing case study assignments for all subject areas.

Developing your case

This section provides a practical example of developing a case study from a scenario in health subjects. Using the case of John, a fifty-six-year-old man grappling with complex mental and physical health issues, we illustrate how to integrate theoretical insights and findings from literature to analyse his situation thoroughly and propose effective interventions.

Example: Case study on person-centred care

Analyse the case with reference to relevant health and social theory and provide a person-centred and evidence-based plan for intervention and treatment involving professional input from a multi-disciplinary team. 

Case:

John is a fifty-six year old man. He lives alone, has some support from his sister who lives nearby, but has lost contact with his ex-wife and only sees his son not his daughter. He suffers from anxiety and depression and has attended a day centre as an outpatient following a period when his mental health got worse. He had a crisis and was not able to work. He got into debt and is now not engaging with services which is making things worse. John has started to abuse alcohol which is making his mood low and he has angry outbursts at neighbours. He has recently developed a leg ulcer which is affecting his mobility and ability to socialise.  

Identifying key themes

Mindmaps are a useful tool for mapping out the different aspects of the case, and linking these back to the assessment task. Here's an example we've drafted on an iPad, but pen and paper can be just as effective for this task:

Mindmap of a patient called John. John is written in a central bubble with lines going outwards to other bubbles with things such as loneliness, finance and mental health in them.


By mapping the themes and determinants of health from the case, it is possible to identify topics where more reading could be undertaken. You can then develop a table addressing health and social theory to collect thoughts and ideas from wider reading:

  Topic Theory Journal articles Notes
1 Anxiety and Depression in Middle-aged Men Biopsychosocial Model "Understanding Anxiety and Depression: A Biopsychosocial Perspective", Journal of Mental Health, 2023. Explores how biological, psychological, and social factors contribute to anxiety and depression in middle-aged men like John.
2 Alcohol Misuse and Mental Health   Substance Abuse Theory     "The Impact of Alcohol Misuse on Mental Health: A Review", Addiction Research & Theory, 2022. Discusses the relationship between alcohol misuse and mood disorders, relevant to John's case of escalating alcohol use.

As your reading progresses, you can continue to expand your table, gathering sources on each of the key topics from the case that you plan to address. These sources will also help you to create an evidence base for your suggested treatments, recommended actions and solutions. From our mindmap, we can identifty a range of possible themes and search terms to consider:

  • Psychological effects of loneliness 
  • Loneliness experienced by men 
  • Loneliness and mental health 
  • Physical effects of loneliness 
  • Physiological effects of loneliness in mid-life and men’s health 

Many of the topics intersect, and you will need to decide on which are most important in determining the relevance of the literature. For example, are general papers on loneliness helpful, or are the challenges faced by men somehow different or not represented in these studies?

Considering the assessment criteria, we would then link the evidence base to treatment options. How could services address loneliness? Are services offered? If not, what evidence supports any proposals you make? Thinking creatively enables you to write about non-existent services with an eye on future developments and recommendations. From your reading, perhaps you could propose service ideas which could be implemented in an ideal world with more funding - you can make recommendations and offer limitations and show an awareness of reality coupled with innovative thinking. 


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