Case Study #2

by


 

 

Case Study 2

50 pts

Due Thurs, April 20 by 11:59 p.m. via Canvas

 

 

Merla is a 38-year-old woman who presents with a history of depression. She has made two suicide attempts by overdosing on prescribed medications, one as in her 20’s and one six months ago; she also reports chronic suicidal ideation, explaining that it gives her relief to think about suicide as a “way out.”Merla doesn’t share much about her upbringing other than her siblings are all significantly older than she is. Her parents created their family business from the ground up and were often gone on long business trips abroad when Merla was a child. Her siblings were all grown and married with their own families, so she often stayed with babysitters. When asked about the significant age gap between Merla and her siblings, her parents would often laugh and call her the “oops”.

 

When she is stressed, Merla says that she often “zones out,” even in the middle of conversations or while at work. When experiencing an episode, she has a sense that her body isn’t really hers or that she’s floating outside of herself. She also states that during these episodes she feels almost like she’s reading a book about her life or that things aren’t “real”. She shares that she is afraid she will be terminated from her position soon, due to ongoing conflicts with co-workers and periods of zoning out. Her co-workers claim she is unpredictable and often lashes out at them out of the blue. Merla additionally states, “I don’t know who Merla really is,” and describes a longstanding pattern of changing her hobbies, style of clothing, and sometimes even her job based on who she is dating or who is in her social group. At times, she thinks that her partner is “the best thing that’s ever happened to me” and will impulsively buy him lavish gifts, send caring text messages, and the like; however, at other times she admits to thinking “I can’t stand him,” and will ignore or scream at him, sometimes even throwing things at him. Immediately after doing so, she reports feeling regret and panic at the thought of him leaving her and tries to make it up to him, even though it’s his fault for not being supportive enough for her. Merla reports that before she began dating her current partner she sometimes engaged in sexual activity with multiple people per week, often with partners whom she did not know.

 

Address the following questions. Be sure to number each response (1-5).

 

  1. Based on APA 3 criteria for defining and diagnosing abnormal behavior, does Merla show evidence of abnormal behavior? Addressing each of the 3 criteria, what evidence do you have that is sufficient for these requirements? Be sure to incorporate specific text evidence.

Has she shown evidence of abnormal behavior per APA 3 criteria:

Criterion 1:

Criterion 2:

Criterion 3:

 

  1. Based on text evidence,what diagnosis is most comparable withMerla’s s/s?

 

  1. Using the DSM-5, select at least 4 criteria for a diagnosis you feel Merla may meet (if comorbid, select 4 for each); give specific examples from the text to illustrate how she meets each criterion.

1.

2.

3.

4.

  1. Would you consider Merla’s prognosis good or guarded? Why?

 

  1. What treatment/s would you recommend for Merla and why? Provide at least 2 examples and identify specific benefits for each.

Treatment 1:

Treatment 2:

 

 

Upload to Canvas in Word(other applications will not be accepted by the system). MAKE SURE you are submitting your responses – NOT just the assignment sheet.  LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.I strongly recommend submitting well before the deadline to account for WIFI issues, etc.