A comprehensive inventory of the patient's current symptoms, disorders, and life difficulties (e.g., housing, financial, or relationship issues).
While a diagnosis (like Major Depressive Disorder) is a general starting point, the formulation explains the unique relationship between a patient's symptoms. For example, a patient’s "avoidance behavior" might be the mechanism linking both their social anxiety and their depression. The Case Formulation Approach to Cognitive-Beha...
The therapist and patient work as "co-scientists" to develop this hypothesis. A comprehensive inventory of the patient's current symptoms,