Case Study: Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Case Study #6 — Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Background Information Tyler is a 15 year old male who is currently living at home with his mother and younger sister. His mother describes Tyler as “always being an odd child” who had significant difficulty relating to his peers. As a child he would spend a great deal of time alone involved in role playing. She said that social situations always provoke great anxiety in Tyler and he is extremely socially inept. Currently Tyler rarely socializes, and when he is not in school he spends most of his time on his computer. Tyler spends several hours a day on the Internet playing on-line games and interacting with others in chat rooms. Tyler reports having one close real-life friend but it is not clear when he sees this person. However, he did list several “online friends”, none of whom he has actually met in person. Tyler has a history of doing poorly in mainstream school and currently is attending a vocational school. He reports being very anxious at school because he “doesn’t fit in”. His mother suffers from depression and anxiety, and he has two maternal uncles diagnosed with schizophrenia. Odd Beliefs or Magical Thinking that Influences Behaviour Since childhood Tyler has been interested in paranormal experiences. His mother reports that his interest goes beyond mere curiosity that would be “normal for someone of his age”. Rather his preoccupations seem to dominate his life at the exclusion of other activities. For example, his mother expressed concern about Tyler’s intense fascination with ghosts. Tyler is extremely preoccupied with websites that advertise paranormal research, and he continually asks his mother to purchase ghost hunting equipment from them. Tyler indicates that he has seen ghosts and he often attempts to photograph ghosts near abandoned houses. Tyler also reports that he is superstitious. For example cats crossing his path, lack of a breeze and things falling are all “bad signs that negative energy”
Background Information Tyler is a 15 year old male who is currently living at home with his mother and younger sister. His mother describes Tyler as “always being an odd child” who had significant difficulty relating to his peers. As a child he would spend a great deal of time alone involved in role playing. She said that social situations always provoke great anxiety in Tyler and he is extremely socially inept. Currently Tyler rarely socializes, and when he is not in school he spends most of his time on his computer. Tyler spends several hours a day on the Internet playing on-line games and interacting with others in chat rooms. Tyler reports having one close real-life friend but it is not clear when he sees this person. However, he did list several “online friends”, none of whom he has actually met in person. Tyler has a history of doing poorly in mainstream school and currently is attending a vocational school. He reports being very anxious at school because he “doesn’t fit in”. His mother suffers from depression and anxiety, and he has two maternal uncles diagnosed with schizophrenia. Odd Beliefs or Magical Thinking that Influences Behaviour Since childhood Tyler has been interested in paranormal experiences. His mother reports that his interest goes beyond mere curiosity that would be “normal for someone of his age”. Rather his preoccupations seem to dominate his life at the exclusion of other activities. For example, his mother expressed concern about Tyler’s intense fascination with ghosts. Tyler is extremely preoccupied with websites that advertise paranormal research, and he continually asks his mother to purchase ghost hunting equipment from them. Tyler indicates that he has seen ghosts and he often attempts to photograph ghosts near abandoned houses. Tyler also reports that he is superstitious. For example cats crossing his path, lack of a breeze and things falling are all “bad signs that negative energy”