Withdrawal from Activities Like Sex and Poor Sleep Quality Case Paper

Utilize the seven Steps for Psychiatric Diagnosis-Review Chapter 3(attached)

1.  Collecting Data-Who is the patient (Jessica)

2.  Identifying Psychopathology- Determine what assessment you would use to help determine the clients diagnosis.

3.   Evaluating the reliability of data- Include scores from your assessment and what the patient describes/or as described in the scenario.  

4.  Determining the overall distinctive feature-see page 72-73

5.  Arriving at a diagnosis-follow the principles of either parsimony or hierarchy(book pages attached with definitions/explanation of each parsimony and hierarchy)

6.  Checking diagnostic criteria-YOU WILL HAVE TO DIAGNOSIS THE CLIENT

7.  Resolving diagnostic uncertainty-Is there a differential diagnosis to. be considered along with the primary diagnosis?

Case study- Jessica is a 28 year-old married female. She has a very demanding, high stress job as a second year medical resident in a large hospital. Jessica has always been a high achiever. She graduated with top honors in both college and medical school. She has very high standards for herself and can be very self-critical when she fails to meet them. Lately, she has struggled with significant feelings of worthlessness and shame due to her inability to perform as well as she always has in the past.

For the past few weeks Jessica has felt unusually fatigued and found it increasingly difficult to concentrate at work. Her coworkers have noticed that she is often irritable and withdrawn, which is quite different from her typically upbeat and friendly disposition. She has called in sick on several occasions, which is completely unlike her. On those days she stays in bed all day, watching TV or sleeping.

At home, Jessica’s husband has noticed changes as well. She’s shown little interest in sex and has had difficulties falling asleep at night. Her insomnia has been keeping him awake as she tosses and turns for an hour or two after they go to bed. He’s overheard her having frequent tearful phone conversations with her closest friend, which have him worried. When he tries to get her to open up about what’s bothering her, she pushes him away with an abrupt “everything’s fine”.

Although she hasn’t ever considered suicide, Jessica has found herself increasingly dissatisfied with her life. She’s been having frequent thoughts of wishing she was dead. She gets frustrated with herself because she feels like she has every reason to be happy, yet can’t seem to shake the sense of doom and gloom that has been clouding each day as of late.                       My response/thoughts- Jessica appears to be experiencing symptoms consistent with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Jessica’s symptoms include feelings of worthlessness, fatigue, decreased concentration, irritability, withdrawal, insomnia, and thoughts of death. It is recommended that Jessica consult with a medical professional.

(explanation)Based on the symptoms and signs described, Jessica seems to be suffering from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The persistent feelings of worthlessness and shame, significant fatigue, decreased concentration, irritability, withdrawal, sleeping problems, and recurring thoughts of death are all indicative of a major depressive episode. Increased job stress and self-criticism may have contributed to her condition.

Jessica needs to consult with a medical professional who can provide a definitive diagnosis and suggest appropriate treatment options, typically including psychotherapy and/or medication. It must always be remembered that mental health is as important as physical health.