Explain multilevel mind-body formulation — CASC communication station

Station brief

Format. Communication station, approximately 7–10 minutes after reading. You are the psychiatry registrar meeting parents (or the patient if recovered enough) for explanation after acute assessment.[1]

Candidate instructions. Build rapport. Elicit their mind-body explanatory model. Explain that mental illness involves multilevel factors (biology, psychology, social context) without empty slogans or blame. Address medication and agency/free-will fears carefully. Outline how treatment choices incorporate evidence and the person's values. If asked about 'can they decide,' use plain-language capacity abilities without inventing legal section numbers. Avoid humiliation and dualist either/or framing.[3][4][5]

Candidate scenario

Parents are distressed, educated, and polarised: one says 'it's a brain disease only'; the other fears stigma of 'weakness.' They ask if scans will show free will is gone. The patient is currently able to converse but partially rejects the idea of illness. Explore gently; do not debate metaphysics aggressively.[4][6]

Marking domains

• Empathy, non-blaming language, pacing
• Elicitation of explanatory models
• Clear multilevel explanation without empty BPS boxes [1][2]
• Free-will / agency handled without neuro-overclaim [4]
• Values and shared decisions [5]
• Capacity language if raised: understand, appreciate, reason, choose [6]
• Safety-net and next steps without legal invention