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Mental Health Skills in Brief�- # 17 What the Use of a Formulation?� ��Jan Orman with Dr Melissa Black

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What is a formulation?

“a joint effort between you and the (mental health professional) to summarise your difficulties, to explain why they may be happening and to make sense of them.” 

Source: Changing Minds UK

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Models for formulation making

Model 1

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  • Why this person?

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  • Why this illness? Why now?

Model 2 ‘The Four P Model’

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  • Predisposing factors
  • Precipitating factors
  • Perpetuating factors
  • Protective factors

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Formulation Grid

Predisposing

Precipitating

Perpetuating

Protective

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Formulation Grid

Predisposing

Precipitating

Perpetuating

Protective

  • Anxious worrier
  • Past history of panic attacks
  • Family history of anxiety
  • Childhood issues???
  • Alcohol???

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  • Parents retiring to Sydney

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  • Stressful job
  • Single motherhood
  • Young children
  • Unresolved relationship issues with parents

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  • Responsible
  • Employed in well paid and satisfying job
  • Help seeking
  • Responded well to CBT in the past
  • Supportive parents
  • Good friends
  • Good relationship with in-laws and father of her children

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Thank you�j.orman@blackdog.org.au