Description
Case Study Analysis
Client Name: Ana
Client age: 24
Gender: F
Presenting Problem
Client states, “I recently lost my job and feel hopeless. I can’t sleep and don’t feel like eating.” Client also reports she has lost 10 pounds during the last two months. Client states that she is a solo parent and is worried about becoming homeless. Client states, “I worry all the time. I can’t get my brain to shut off. My husband is in the military and currently serving in an overseas combat zone for the next eight months. I worry about him all the time.”
Explanation & Answer
Attached.
Running Head: DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION
Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression in given Client
Student Name:
Professor Name:
Course Name &Number:
University:
Paper Due Date:
1
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION
2
Introduction
Depression is major mental illness that significantly affects an individual’s personal life
and other aspects of their life such as work. Depression is a primary cause of disability among
young people and adults and often occurs among people 15 years and older. Cases of depression
in modern society have escalated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) approximately 10% of adults between the ages of 40 and 59 years were diagnosed with
depression between 2009 and 2012 (Mojtabai, Olfson & Han, 2016). Further, a report by the
BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) indicated that prevalence of depression had skyrocketed by 33%
between 2013 and 2016 with adolescents and young adults been the most affected members of the
society. The results presented in these two reports agree with the results of other studies on
prevalence of depression in modern society. Although the symptoms of depression vary from one
person to another, depression is often characterized by depressed mood or loss of interest
according to DSM-V diagnostic criteria (Maj, 2013). DSM-V is the commonly used diagnosed
criteria for depression and will be used to access the symptoms of the client in this case study. The
client in the case study has manifested five of the symptoms of depression with one of the
symptoms being lack of interest or pleasure. As a result, the symptoms of the client meet the
diagnostic criteria for depression under DSM-V.
Diagnosis of the client
Based on the symptoms, the diagnosis for the client is clinical depression also known as
major depressive disorder. Clinical depression is a serious mood disorder that is characterized by
persistent feelings of sadness. People diagnosed with major depressive disorder often experience
feelings of hopelessness and lack of interest in activities (Smith, Renshaw & Bilello, 2013).
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION
3
Depression has long-lasting effects and when left untreated, it can affect an individual’s ability to
operate and function normally. As a result, it is imperative to address the symptoms of the client
before they worsen. The symptoms of depression are diverse and manifest in varied ways among
different people. In order for an individual to be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must
prevail for at least two weeks.
The symptoms of depression can be grouped into three distinctive groups: psychological
symptoms, social symptoms and physical symptoms. Th...
