Case formulation and management using pattern-based formulation (PBF) methodology: clinical case 1.

OBJECTIVE

A tool for psychiatric case formulation known as pattern-based formulation (PBF) has been recently introduced. This paper presents an application of this methodology in formulating and managing complex clinical cases.

METHOD: The symptomatology of the clinical presentation has been parsed into individual clinical phenomena and interpreted by selecting explanatory models.

RESULTS

The clinical presentation demonstrates how PBF has been used as a clinical tool to guide clinicians' thinking, that takes a structured approach to manage multiple issues using a broad range of management strategies. In doing so, the paper also introduces a number of patterns related to the observed clinical phenomena that can be re-used as explanatory models when formulating other clinical cases.

CONCLUSION

It is expected that this paper will assist clinicians, and particularly trainees, to better understand PBF methodology and apply it to improve their formulation skills.