Case Number: 93849594
Patient’s Name: Gump, Forrest
Alabama State Psychiatric Center
Birmingham, Alabama
Rachel Schoen, Ph. D
Table of Contents
General Information
Education/Occupation ...........................................................................................
Institutional Record
Medical History .....................................................................................................
Interviews ...............................................................................................................
Analysis ..................................................................................................................
Recommendations ..................................................................................................
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Case Number: 93849594
Patient Name: Gump, Forrest
Date of Birth: 02/24/1948
Place of Birth: Greenbow, Alabama
Height: 6’5” (195.5 cm)
Weight: 242 pounds (110 kg)
Race: Caucasian
Nationality: Irish-German American
Religion: Catholic (non-practicing)
Parents:
MOTHER
Name: Kyla Gump
D.O.B: 03/07/1920
Place of Birth: Birmingham, Alabama
Race: Caucasian
Nationality: Irish-American
Religion: Catholic (non-practicing)
Education: 8th grade completed
Martial Status: Widowed
FATHER
Name: Joseph Gump (Deceased)
D.O.B: 10/18/1918
Place of Birth: Greenbow, Alabama
Race: Caucasian
Nationality: German
Religion: Baptist (practiced)
Education: High School Diploma
Martial Status: n/a
While attending the public Robert E.
Lee Elementary School at age six, the patient Forrest Gump had noticeable difficulty with
socializing and academics. Soon after entering the first grade, Forrest’s teacher and the rest of
administration of the school began to realize his disabilities, but did not recommend the patient
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to a school for the mentally impaired until after completion of the school year. His mother and
sole caretaker, Mrs. Kyla Gump, initially refused to have her son enrolled in the neighboring
school for mentally impaired, but soon afterward enrolled him as his former elementary school
had requested.
Forrest went on to complete grade school and some of high school in the special school,
where he was tested for mental impairments. Forrest took the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for
Children (WISC) test for his IQ. His results came back with a 70 IQ. He was found to be, and
referred to for the rest of his life, as an idiot savant.
After half of his high school career at the mentally impaired school, Forrest was recruited
to a public high school to play American football. He gained popularity as a football player,
joining the All-State team. Forrest’s height, build and running ability were perfect components
for American football, but his unlikeliness to tackle anyone or the lack of coordination to catch a
football were hindering to his football career. Fortunately for Forrest, his ability was still to be
admired, and he met Bear Bryant, who implanted the idea of playing college football into his
head.
In high school Forrest had a different daily schedule than most students. He only had six
classes, three consisting of homeroom-like classes where he was free to do what he wanted and
three classes where he had an aid teaching him one-on-one how to read. Miss Henderson, one of
Forrest’s high school teachers, claims to have given him reading lessons. Mark Twain's The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer was one of the novels chosen. However, Forrest reports that he didn’t
understand it well, but he enjoyed what he could understand. After high school, Forrest took a
test at a local army recruitment center, and is told he is "Temporarily Deferred."
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Forrest went on to play football for Alabama State University, but failed all of his classes
except for Intermediate Light, an advanced physics class. In his Intermediate Light class, he
received a letter grade of A, which made his physics professor question his actual ability as a
learning-disabled student. Unfortunately, without the grades or the capacity to learn, Forrest was
kicked out of the University he was attending, and got drafted into the army.
There is no known educational institution attended by Forrest after college.
Forrest started with the occupation of a Alabama State University student, under an
American football scholarship. However, after one football season, Forrest was deferred from the
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university due to lack of sufficent grades, and was drafted into the Army to fight in the Vietnam
War. Forrest was a member of the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam, notably: 4th platoon, A
Company, 2nd Bn/47INF. According to Forrest’s immediate officer, “Gump was one of the best
Goddamn soldiers this Army’s ever seen.” Forrest’s uncanny ability to follow orders without
question made him a great soldier. Forrest won the Congressional Medal of Honor for saving
lives.
In 1969, Forrest joined the Army Special Services, where he entertained wounded military
veterans with his Ping Pong skills. His exceptional skills earned him a place in the All-American
Ping Pong team, with whom he traveled to China during the Ping Pong Diplomacy period of the
early 1970s.
Forrest traveled to Harvard University in Boston to find his long-time friend, Jenny Curran.
There he goes on to play the harmonica in Jenny’s band, “The Cracked Eggs”. They played
weekly at the Hodaddy Club where they were very popular. Their popularity then grew and they
began to tour around the northeast playing at multiple venues. There was a falling out with the
band, and in series of circumstances Forrest finds himself involved with NASA doing some topsecret, confidential work. However this area regarding Forrest’s occupations is limited.
In 1971, Forrest persuaded Lieutenant Dan Taylor, his platoon leader from Vietnam, to join
him in the shrimping business as his first mate, in an effort to fulfill his promise made to Bubba
earlier in Vietnam. Forrest finds his Greenbow house filled with memorabilia capitalizing on his
fame as a ping-pong player in China. At his mother's insistence, Forrest made $25,000 endorsing
a brand of ping-pong paddles, and used most of the money to travel to Bubba's hometown of
Bayou La Batre and purchase a boat. For several weeks, the two had no luck catching shrimp.
However, things changed when the area was hit by Hurricane Carmen. Forrest's boat was the
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only one left standing and they found themselves with a monopoly of shrimp. Under the name
Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, they soon became very wealthy.
Institutional Record:
2 counts of federal crime
0 counts of prosecution
1 count of mental institutionalization
Jail/Penitentiary
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Forrest was arrested with Raquel Welch. She was accused of stealing a dress, and was
accompanied by Forrest and another man. Forrest got taken down to the precinct but was never
prosecuted for any crime. The bad publicity caused Forrest’s political career to take a dive.
Jenny Curran convinced Forrest to throw away his congressional medal of honor, which
is a federal crime. Due to the contradicting nature of accepting the award then throwing the
medal of honor away, the judge observing the case sentenced Forrest to undergo psychiatric
evaluation in a mental hospital.
Mental Institutions
The doctors at the hospital found that Forrest was fit to live alone, as a high functioning
idiot, but should receive therapeutic treatment and be monitored for further analysis concerning
his lack of attention span and proper socialization. Forrest was briefly institutionalized at the
Alabama State Psychiatric Center, but was soon released under the conditions he come back
regularly for checkups and therapy sessions.
Physical Medical Records
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Kyla Gump, mother of the patient Forrest Gump, contracted Rubella three months into
her eight month long pregnancy. Forrest was born prematurely and at a low birth weight,
reported at three pounds and seven ounces. Forrest did not contract Rubella from mother. No
unusual sickness appeared in Forrest, with the exception of chicken pox at age four.
During combat in his tour of Vietnam, Forrest was shot in the buttocks. He was then
relieved of combat and sent to the Danang hospital to heal along with the other wounded soldiers
from the war effort. Forrest was under the care of the hospital for approximately two months.
There are no other reports of Forrest being hospitalized.
Mental/Emotional Medical Records
Upon entering school at age six, Forrest’s Intellectual Functioning Level (IQ) was tested
(using the Standford-Binet Intelligence Scales), and was recorded at 70. Formal testing and
interviews with Forrest were conducted at that time. Significant weakness was found in areas:
1. Intellectual and Behavior Adaptive Skills
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2. Psychological/Emotional Considerations
Formal testing combined with Forrest’s Intellectual Functioning Level indicated the
presence of mental retardation, and Forrest was pronounced medically and legally to have mental
retardation.
Since Forrest had barely made it out of the 1st grade, it was apparent he lacks the mental
capabilities to learn like most people do. Thus, as a child, Forrest was given The Wechsler IQ
Test to examine and develop a better understanding of where he stands on the criteria of mental
status:
Wechsler IQ Test
IQ
Archaic Description
Description
Score higher than:
10
Idiot
Less than 1 out of 100,000
30
Idiot
50
Imbecile
70
Moron
Profound Mental
Retardation
Severe Mental
Retardation
Moderate Mental
Retardation
Mild Mental
Retardation
80
85
100
115
125
130
Dull Normal
Genius
Low Average
Average
High Average
Superior
Very Superior/Gifted
“
3 out of 100,000
13, out of 10,000
2 out of 100
16 out of 100
Half
84 out of 100
95 out of 100
98.5 out of 100
Forrest’s Results
Verbal Scale
Performance Scale
Information
5
Picture Completion
3
Similarities
4
Geometric Design
Arithmetic
8
Mazes
6
Vocabulary
2
Block Design
3
5
9
Comprehension
6
Overall Verbal
63%
Overall Performance
78%
Overall Score
Object Assembly
4
Matrix Reasoning
6
70.5
Forrest’s achieved the score of a 70.5 on the Wechsler IQ Test. This is a very low score
and technically places Forrest in the 3rd percentile. Since this is a valid use of information, it can
be declared that Forrest is labeled as a “moron”. Furthermore, it can be inferred that Forrest
could very possibly be suffering from mild mental retardation.
Since Forrest can be officially claimed as a “moron” for his mental status and can be
considered mentally retarded (to some degree), it is then essential to calculate whether or not he
is also suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder. This is questioned because throughout his short
educational career, and even when communicating with others, Forrest loses his focus very
quickly. It is also known that Forrest can get very easily distracted.
To give a better understanding if Forrest does suffer from A.D.D. our center gave him a
questionnaire to fill out. Below is a copy of the questionnaire filled out:
Alabama State Psychiatry Center
Questionnaire for Evaluating A.D.D.
0-
Never
1-
Rarely
2-
Sometimes
3-
Often
4-
Very often
At home, work, or school, I find my mind wandering from tasks that aren’t interesting or difficult.
10
0
1
2
3
4
I find it hard to stay focused on what is being said in conversations.
0
1
2
3
4
I have a quick temper; a short fuse.
0
1
2
3
4
I am irritable, and become upset by minor annoyances.
0
1
2
3
4
I have trouble orderly planning a series of tasks or activities.
0
1
2
3
4
3
4
I easily become upset.
0
1
2
In conversations, I start to answer questions before they fully have been asked.
0
1
2
3
4
There is a lot of “static” and/or “chatter” in my head.
0
1
2
3
4
Even when sitting quietly, I am usually moving my hands and/or feet.
0
1
2
3
4
In group activities, I find it difficult to wait for my turn.
0
1
2
3
4
My mind is so cluttered that it is hard for me to think.
0
1
2
3
4
My thoughts bounce around my mind.
0
1
2
3
4
I am unable to stop daydreaming.
0
1
2
3
4
Based on the results of the questionnaire, it can be theorized that Forrest is suffering from
A.D.D. His scores reflect answers containing mostly 3s and 4s, thus deeming him having A.D.D.
tendencies based on the survey. The side effects of his condition based on this information are
the following:
— Gives up easily on tasks and/or assignments
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— Poor testing skills
— Difficulties in memory
— Very easily distracted
— Frequently day-dreams
— Poor listening skills
— Changes topic of discussion often
Upon further review and analysis, we gave Forrest an MRI scan of his brain to further question
his A.D.D. before a final diagnosis was made.
Though this is not a direct representation of Forrest’s brain, this graph is used to express
the relativity between brain #4 on the graph and Forrest’s brain. There is a direct correlation
between the two brains. Forrest’s brain is covered with the color of red indicating he has a
serious condition of increased activity of deviations. In addition the representation and relatively
of this graph further promotes the case for Forrest having A.D.D.
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While there is no absolute way to diagnose Attention Deficit Disorder, based on the test
results and face-to-face interview of the patient in question, I believe Mr. Forrest Gump may
have A.D.D.
Here are a few interviews provided by Forrest himself, his mother Kyla, and his former
childhood teacher/aid Miss Margaret. The interview with Forrest is presented in a first-person,
question-and-answer type format. Dr. Wells of our psychiatric staff asked the questions, which
Forrest Gump answered. The interviews with his mother and former teacher are displayed in a
summarization format. This was done to protect the security and integrity of the words said
within those interviews.
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Interview with Forrest Gump
Q: Good evening, Mr. Gump. How are you feeling today?
A: Been better, I s’pose.
Q: I’m sorry to hear that. So, do you know why you were asked to come here today?
A: T’answer some questions.
Q: That’s right. Can you tell me where you’re from, or maybe something about your parents, or
the schools you have attended?
A: Well, I grew up with momma here in Alabama. Momma won’t talk about Daddy. … Am I
done?
Q: What about schooling?
A: Alright. … I went to a special school when I was a kid cause I have a low IQ and they figure
I’m an idiot and all but I still graduated and played some football in college for a lil’ while.
Q: How did you do in college?
A: I failed all my classes but Intermediate Light. ‘Cause of that, the college didn’t want me there
no more.
Q: Why were you good at Intermediate Light but not your other classes?
A: I dunno. I s’pose it was just easy for me. College was very confusing times.
Q: Do you ever plan on going back to college? To further your education?
A: I dunno.
Subject tried to leave after answering, but was gently asked to sit back down.
Q: What did you do after college Forrest?
A: The army done came to my house and told my momma I have to go with for while.
Q: What did you do in the army?
A: We went off and fought a war in that place Vietnam.
Q: And what did you do in Vietnam?
A: Lot of fighting … I cooked too.
Q: I see you were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. You must have been a really great
soldier right?
A: I s’pose.
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Q: Can you tell me anything more about your experience in Vietnam?
A: My best friend Bubba …well, he got kilt in the war.
Subject had averted his eyes to various parts of the room and twiddled his fingers.
Q: One more question about Vietnam, Forrest. What are your general thoughts about it?
A: ………….
Q: Forrest. What were your general thoughts about Vietnam?
A: Huh? Aw, well, it’s just a bunch of shit. I got my ass shot too which was no fun neither.
Q: Okay, that’s all for today. Anything else you would like to say?
A: No. … I just wanna go home now.
Interview with Mrs. Gump
Mrs. Gump unfortunately was very uncooperative during the interview. She kept repeating
herself claiming that there was and is nothing wrong with her son and that he does not need to be
put away in a mental institution. When we tried comforting her and advising her that if Forrest
were to be put away that he would be in good hands and that it would benefit him, she refused to
listen and disregarded our concerns for his well-being. She did not answer a lot of questions that
we asked her; however she did elaborate briefly about Forrest’s childhood. Mrs. Gump admitted
to him doing things without thinking of the consequences, such as touching a hot stove, and his
inability to focus on simple directions. She admitted to keeping her son enclosed within their
home often, trying not to expose him to other children in the community. Her reasoning for this
was she claimed a lot of kids poked fun at Forrest making him very self conscious and insecure
about his lifestyle. Another reason for this is she explained that her husband, Forrest’s father,
died when Forrest was very young and that she did not want to be alone in this world so she kept
Forrest very closely to her, keeping an eye on him whenever she could. She went on to argue that
her son does not have any mental problems; that Forrest is a regular, normal person like
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everyone else. She also kept insisting that we or somebody else not take him away to a mental
institution.
Interview with Miss Margaret
Miss Margaret identified herself as the teacher/aid for Forrest while he was in the special school for
kids with disabilities as a child. Fortunately, unlike Mrs. Gump, Miss Margaret was very cooperative
during the interview and informed us of a lot of useful and reinforcing information about Forrest
during their time together. Although Forrest was actually one of the better children in the special
school, she claimed he still showed his disabilities often and that they were quite noticeable. She
gave numerous examples of instances where she will be teaching the class about what to do and what
not to do in a daily situation, where then she’ll find Forrest whistling to himself and his eyes
wandering around the classroom as if he was in his own little world. In addition she told us how she
would have sometimes allowed her students to interact with one another on a certain activity in class
and she would find Forrest having problems with taking turns with them.
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SYMPTOMS of ADD or ADHD:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Often fidgeting with hands or feet, or squirming while seated.
Having difficulty remaining seated.
Having difficulty awaiting turn in games or group activities.
Often blurting out answers before questions are completed.
Having difficulty in following instructions.
Having difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities.
Often shifting from one uncompleted task to another.
Having difficulty playing quietly.
Often talking excessively.
Often interrupting or intruding on others.
Often not listening to what is being said.
Often forgetting things necessary for tasks or activities.
Often engaging in physically dangerous activities without considering possible
consequences.
Being easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.
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Based on the tests administered and the interviews taken we can conclude two concrete
diagnostics of Forrest. One is that Forrest is to be considered to having a mild case of mental
retardation. We can make this conclusion based on his score of a 70.5 on the Wechsler IQ Test.
The second is that Forrest is to be considered that he is suffering from a disorder, and that
disorder being Attention Deficit Disorder, or A.D.D. We can make this second conclusion by
calculating his A.D.D. questionnaire, examining the MRI scan of his brain, and by inferring from
the interviews that Forrest has a limited attention span.
Other Diagnostics
•
Inadequate social skills, mainly conversing with others
•
Cognitive delays, instances where critical thinking is required
•
Speech Impediment
•
Impulsive tendencies
Recommendations
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•
Take all medication prescribed (see below)
•
Participate in psychotherapy sessions to further psychological and psychiatric evaluation
•
Loss therapy once a week to deal with issues like losing his father and best friend Bubba
•
To visit Bubba’s grave (if existing) to help Forrest cope with such a painstaking loss
•
Routine hospital visits for the next six months to track progress
•
Have Forrest regularly participate in events where people with disabilities like Forrest can
interact socially and compete
•
Enlist Forrest in a behavior modification program to assist him in developing better social skills
and working with people more efficiently
Prescribed Medication
Name: Adderall
Dosage: 200mg, two times daily, 6 hrs. between each dose
Purpose: Used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder A.D.D.
Action: Heightens attentiveness and awareness and lessens restlessness. Raises dopamine
and norepinephrine levels.
Side effects include, but are not limited to: loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, stomach pains,
increased heart rate, dizziness and/or drowsiness, possible alterations in vision. Side effects vary
from person to person.
Since Forrest has newly prescribed medication, he is going to be experiencing bodily
alterations that he is not accustomed to. The loss of appetite, being one of the main side effects of
Adderall, makes it imperative for Forrest to maintain a healthy, nutritious diet. There must be a
lot of emphasis towards Forrest’s eating habits: make sure he eats a lot of proteins,
carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables. Furthermore, along with a healthy diet, it is equally
important to make sure Forrest is getting a sufficient amount of exercise on a daily basis to
promote good health and also as one method to help cope with the deaths of his father and best
friend. It is apparent he was affected deeply by both losses.
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As clearly stated by his mother Kyla, she does not want Forrest to be sent away to a mental
institution out of her care and leaving her all alone. With that said, Forrest can be released from
Alabama State Psychiatric Center to, and only to, Kyla Gump. This is made possible if, and only
if, Forrest abides by all of my recommendations provided and shows he is making progress with
his medication and behavior modification. If he chooses not to do so, he thereby is subjecting
himself as a liability to society and must be taken away to be institutionalized or hospitalized.
Rachel Schoen, Ph. D
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