Table 6 Illustrations of “Inferred mechanism”, by different clinicians (1 and 2), both matched (patient X) and mismatched (patient Y)

Patient X Clinician 1:

A tendency to have difficulties making decisions since secondary school. Scared by macular bleeding in the eye early in the 20-ies. Indecisive when choosing a career (salesman, artist, author) and reluctant to marry for fear of being limited by all the responsibilities. At the same time guilt feelings for not taking responsibility.

Patient X Clinician 2:

The patient was kind and smart, avoided conflicts. The patient has always had problems making decisions and been bothered by ambivalence with major life decisions like committing to a sweetheart or choosing a career as an artist etc. The romantic relationship was dominated by fear of becoming trapped in a marriage with children where the spouse would be dominant. Chose to move from the partner half a year ago to concentrate on a career as an artist. Ambivalence and anxiety/depressive symptoms for the last 1–2 months after feelings of professional failure.

Patient Y Clinician 1:

Lively, somewhat bad tempered. Always jealous of the 1 year younger brother. Many friends, restless, active. Intensely in love with a beautiful wife. Two teenage kids. Headache, irritable. Marriage conflicts for many years. But he regards headache and fatigue as non-explainable symptoms. He is like his father, but while his mother resigned, his wife does not. The patient has also symptoms when the burden of responsibilities increases.