METHODOLOGY AND CONTRIBUTION OF SINGLE-CASE REPORTS IN PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

Case studies are the paradigm which most closely corresponds to the na tural experience of mental disorder in that these conditions are by na ture individual phenomenona. However, the majority of empirical analys es of large samples only examine the general characteristics of mental disorders for ''most people''. It is therefore up to empirical resear chers to learn from case study investigation to develop new methods wh ich take the individual into account while describing the experience o f psychopathology. Inspired by the power of case studies, the recent a vailability of new statistical modeling techniques facilitates the sim ultaneous treatment, of inter and intra-individual variance which more closely corresponds to the actual experience of mental disorder. Alth ough these new techniques cannot duplicate the role of case studies, t hey nevertheless represent an important conceptual and empirical advan ce in psychopathology research. This communication will present a revi ew of the importance of case studies and describe how their influence, in addition to other scientific advances, increases the appreciation of the individual even within the scope of large empirical investigati ons.