Leslie Knope

• Leslie Knope- Deputy Director of the Pawnee City Department of Parks and Recreation
• Family- Patient has lived in Pawnee, Indiana all her life, grew up in a household with two parents, no known psychological conditions in family
• Medical- Patient has had overall good health, occasional minor illness (ie cold and flu), but no instances of chronic or psychological illness. However, does suffer from anxiety and insomnia (pic 1).
• Mental- History of intense eccentricity, need for perfectionism, addicted to working, but overall highly intelligent and mentally sound, is intrinsically motivated and has high moral standards

• Is often “on the go,” acting as if “driven by a motor”
• Restless
• Often talks excessively
• Often blurts out an answer before a question has been completed
• Often has difficulty waiting his or her turn (ie waiting for banners to be printed) (pic 2)
• Often interrupts or intrudes on others (video 2)
• Inflated sense of responsibility
• Shows perfectionism that interferes with task completion
• Is excessively devoted to work and productivity to the exclusion of leisure activities and friendships
• Is preoccupied with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or schedules to the extent that the major point of the activity is lost.
• Is unable to discard worn-out or worthless objects even when they have no sentimental value (video 3)

Using my vast psychological expertise having taken (almost) a single semester of a basic Psychology course, I would diagnose Leslie with mild ADHD (with emphasis on the hyperactive), as well as moderate OCPD.

According to the DSM, ADHD can be diagnosed if the patient demonstrates a “persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity (pic 3) that interferes with functioning” (p. 61) The patient then must show signs of at least 6 diagnostic criteria for at least 6 months. Leslie suffers from the following 6 DSM specified symptoms, demonstrating them over the course of the series (7+ years), confirming the diagnosis of mild ADHD:

1) Restlessness

2) Unable to be or uncomfortable being still for extended time, as in restaurants, meetings

3) Often talks excessively.

4) Often blurts out an answer before a question has been completed (e.g., completes people’s sentences; cannot wait for turn in conversation).

5) Often has difficulty waiting his or her turn

6) Often interrupts or intrudes on others

My diagnoses is mild because she is highly functioning, despite demonstrating these symptoms. See the next big circle for more details about functionality.

According to the DSM, OCPD can be diagnosed if “a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts” (p. 678) in addition to the patient demonstrating at least 4 diagnostic criteria. Leslie shows the following 5 DSM specified symptoms:

1) Shows perfectionism that interferes with task completion

2) excessively devoted to work and productivity to the exclusion of leisure activities and friendships

3) Unable to discard worn-out or worthless objects even when they have no sentimental value.

4) preoccupied with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or schedules to the extent that the major point of the activity is lost.

5) Overconscientious and inflexible about matters of morality, ethics, or values

Her diagnosis is moderate as she doesn’t portray a complete inability to delegate her work, but her intense hoarding habits (pic 4) and proneness to “becom[ing] upset or angry in situations in which [she is] not able to maintain control of [her] physical or interpersonal environment,” (video 4) make a strong case for this diagnosis.

Leslie is able to function almost perfectly, barely hindered by her disorders. She excels in the government, first elected to city council, then promoted in the Parks Dept. before becoming President of the US (as implied in Season 7). However, these conditions do affect her physical health. Her ADHD and constant need to occupy herself with something causes her to work tirelessly, and not in the most efficient way either. This causes her cycles of insomnia, followed by abrupt crashes of sleep (such as after the Telethon, video 5). Also, her OCPD causes her much anxiety, constantly relying on Ron, Anne, and Wyatt to cool her down (pic 5).

• Leslie actually uses her hyperactive nature to her advantage, excelling in the workplace with her organizational skills and ability to multitask and manage projects (pic 6)
• Her knack at not sleeping allows her to get more work done (pic 7) in a city where most of the government is static, benefiting her political campaigns.
• Also, her perfectionism from OCPD benefits her most of the time, her high standards ensuring the best for Pawnee, as long as she doesn't let it hinder her progress.

• For her ADHD, Leslie may be prescribed a small, daily dosage of an Central Nervous System stimulant such as Adderall, Vyvanse, Focalin, or Ritalin, (pic 8) which would allow her brain more time to process decisions, promoting use of impulse control. These drugs act as dopamine and norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitors, blocking neurotransmitter pathways to allow dopamine and norepinephrine to concentrate in the frontal lobe.
• For her OCPD, a doctor may advise her to seek out psychotherapy to help her learn to be less bogged down by minor details and to lessen her need for perfection.
• Also, specific breathing and relaxation techniques may be useful to reduce a sense of urgency and stress that are experienced with OCPD.

Leslie's disorders don't have any life-threatening effects, and mainly just leave her sleep deprived, or cause her to easily annoy her co-workers. Cognitively, she is able to function at a high level, but does struggle with staying focused, as well as acting on her immediate impulses without thinking first. Her ADHD causes her frontal lobe to under-produce dopamine and nor-epinephrine, affecting her decision making and development. This mainly affects a person in childhood, so since Leslie is an adult and now on ADHD medication, she will be fine, able to live a long, happy, and eccentric life.

Parks and Rec doesn't intentionally portray Leslie as someone with ADHD or OCPD, but they have crafted the character with certain qualities that someone with one or both of these disorders would exhibit in real life. Leslie's character, though over the top, could absolutely be a real person, and that's what makes her character so lovable. She is a purely fictional character, in that she isn't based of off any real person, in addition to how her zeal for her work contrasts the traditional stereotype of the American mid-level bureaucrat. Her innate innocence and pure kindness juxtapose her vicious work ethic and vigor for life, making Leslie a multi-faceted character that perfectly sits at the center of the show

For someone who has never studied Psychology, they might not see much difficulty in dealing with these disorders. Leslie functions at a very high level, and through all her antics, she makes them look rather enjoyable. The nature of her work lends for her ability to function so well, as her abundant energy and desire for perfection end up benefiting the community. Her unique ideas and dedication to achieving her goals make Leslie beloved by most viewers of the show, and may even make her disorders look like benefits rather than hindrances.

Psychology Final Project:

A Psychoanalysis of Leslie Knope

By: Matthew Brewer

Parks and Recreation

Patient History

Symptoms

Parks and Recreation is an American political comedy television sitcom starring Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a perky, mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks Department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana.

DSM Evaluation

Diagnosis

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According to the DSM 5, Leslie's behavioral patterns of poor impulse control, over dedication to work, perfectionism, and her hoarding habit raise red flags for a number of psychological disorders: Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (p.61) and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (p.678).

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Functional Assessment

OCPD

ADHD

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Treatment

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Strengths

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Outcome

Thank You!

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Real Life

Implications