Adjustment Disorder Case Study

1034 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Clinical Assessment Diagnosis and Treatment

Tentative Differential Diagnosis In the case of 14 year old Nathan, he presents with symptoms and behaviors that fit the diagnostic criteria of Adjustment Disorder. According to the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) (2013), Adjustment Disorder is characterized by the “development of emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to an identifiable stressor occurring within 3 months of the onset of the stressor(s)” (p. 286). Symptoms and behaviors of Adjustment Disorder are also characterized as having a shift in general mood and distress that exceeds the stressor as well as significant impairment in areas of functioning such as social, occupational, or educational (Psych Central, 2013). Nathan exhibits these behaviors in which he seems …show more content…

Another stressor seems to be the separation from his twin brother, Jacob. Nathan and Jacob used to be very close and it seems that he is having a difficult time adjusting to their separation as well as making new friends at his new school. Nathan is also afraid and worried that he will disappoint his family, which seems to be another stressor for him. Furthermore, Nathan has been displaying a disturbance in emotions and unusual conduct due to the stressors and changes in his life. Nathan presents as having a depressed mood in which has become quieter than usual, more isolated and is stays in his room more often, as well as a decrease in appetite. Little things seem to irritate him and has been talking to his parents with disrespect and acting out in an aggressive way in which he had not done previously. The family explains that Nathan’s behavior have not been like this before. It seems as though all of these symptoms and behaviors have occurred within the time period of his transition to the new school which then caused a shift in Nathan’s mood and behavior. According to the DSM-5 if these symptoms continue to persist for more than six months, further evaluation will be needed to determine if there is a more serious mental disorder is

Show More
Related

  • Case Study Of Casey Weston's Vignette

    1317 Words  | 3 Pages

    When considering the 5 D’s of abnormality, he possesses characteristics of them all. For dysfunction, he experiences social dysfunction by being unable to create and maintain relationships. He also experiences emotional dysfunction by having a fear of being alone, bouts of crying, and feelings of low self-worth. Physiological symptoms such as insomnia,

    Read More

  • Depression Disorder Case Study

    1004 Words  | 3 Pages

    A 38-year-old single woman, Gracie, was referred for treatment of depressed mood. She spoke of being stressed out due to conflicts at work, and took a bunch of unknown pills. She reported feeling a little depressed prior to this event following having ovarian surgery and other glandular medical problems. She appeared mildly anxious and agitated. She is frequently tearful, but says she does not have any significant sleep or appetite disturbance. She does, however, endorse occasional suicidal ideation, but no perceptual disturbances and her thoughts are logical and goal-directed.

    Read More

  • Bio-Psycho Social Assessment: The Case of Brandon

    1761 Words  | 4 Pages

    Brandon’s mother reported that the majority of his inappropriate behaviors were commenced during dealings with her boyfriend. His teachers at his school also report that Brandon’s behaviors are parallel to his classmates who are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but for unknown reasons, his mother has failed to allow psychological testing as she fears that he will be labeled as crazy or slow child, and she is unsure if she agrees with the use of anti-psychotic medication with children. Brandon’s mother reported that he has participated in counseling to address his challenging behaviors, which include physical aggression, difficulty following rules at home and school, and using inappropriate grammar with sexual insinuations toward females. Brandon has a diagnosis of Depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Brandon and his mother both reported that they stopped therapy in the past because there was no change in Brandon’s behavior. Brandon has numerous assets that were recognized by his counselor/social worker and his mother. Brandon now realizes needs help with his issues and has agreed to attend counseling for his sexually inappropriate...

    Read More

  • Case Study Of A Personal Stress Case Study For Patient H

    1319 Words  | 3 Pages

    Major current stressors in patient H’s life are normal for a girl of her age; attending college at a prestigious university, a new puppy, and friends. Patient H also is suffering from a variety of mental illnesses (this will be discussed later), and her family majorly stresses her. Patient H is an only child and therefore has had her parents

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis: Literary Analysis Of Kurt Vonnegut

    673 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...where the individual is “easily startled”, always has a feeling of being “on edge”, and has “difficulty sleeping, and/or having anger outburst” (HelpGuide). A combination of these symptoms or only one of them often make it hard for an individual to go about their day to day lives.

    Read More

  • Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalytic Therapy Is the Gage that Measures All Therapies

    743 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ription of his foster parents, his foster siblings, are less than objective. I anticipate finding that his symptoms of anxiety attacks, fear of accomplishment, panic over being successful, fear of abandonment, can be interpreted as outward manifestations of unconscious conflicts that have their origins in childhood experiences and defensive reactions to these experienced that were necessary to him as a child.

    Read More

  • Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

    1243 Words  | 3 Pages

    416). It is easy to see how a person suffering from these biological abnormalities would exhibit the symptoms of BPD. The psychodynamic approach to understanding BPD cites need that are not met in childhood. In this theory, the caregiver is inconsistent. This inconsistency results in the child not being able to feel secure in the relationship (Boag, 2014). Children who are unable to develop secure relationships are taught that they cannot rely on people, and are therefore insecure in their interpersonal relationships. Cognitive theorists see personality disorders as developing from adaptive behaviors that they have formed that are considered over or underdeveloped in general society (Sampson, McCubbin, and Tyrer, 2006). In this theory people with BPD develop adaptive behaviors, often to inconsistent behaviors of parents (Reinecke & Ehrenreich, 2005). These adaptive behaviors are considered maladaptive, because they work to counteract the inconsistent behaviors of the caregiver, but do not work when the person tries to use them in their everyday life. In the humanistic model, psychologists maintain that people have an ingrained desire to self-actualize (Comer, 2014, p. 53). Children who are not shown unconditional love, develop “conditions of worth” (Comer, 2014, p. 53). These children do not develop accurate senses of themselves; therefore, they are unable to establish identities. Due to their lack of personal identity, they learn to base their self-worth on others. In socio-cultural theorists argue that BPD is due to a rapidly changing culture (Comer, 2014, p. 418). The change in culture leads to a loss of support systems. These support systems help to counteract many of the symptoms of BPD: little or no sense of self, anxiety, and emptiness. Many of these theories relate back to the experiences of people in their childhood. Children develop based on the treatment and security they receive from their caregivers. When there is inconsistent reliability, children

    Read More

  • (DSM-I): A Diagnostic Analysis

    557 Words  | 2 Pages

    Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-I) was published in 1952 by the American Psychiatric Association to define and classify mental disorders. It did not have much influence in classifying mental disorders during that time. Up until the late 1960s, when the system of nosology starts to have some real influence on mental health professionals, the American Psychiatric Association published DSM-II in 1968. DSM-I and DSM-II system lacked precise descriptions of the disorders and relied heavily on unproven and unpopular theories. Therefore, the third edition of the DSM was published in 1980 to make new reforms to its predecessors. One of the changes was more specific classification of the disorders and being more precise. For example, phobia

    Read More

  • Understanding the Three Parts of the Coping Brain

    1365 Words  | 3 Pages

    The term "reptilian" refers to our primitive, instinctive brain function that is shared by all reptiles and mammals, including humans. It is the most powerful and oldest of our coping brain functions since without it we would not be alive.

    Read More

  • ABnormal

    1076 Words  | 3 Pages

    Terry has reported to have intense negative feelings about being alone and worries that her friends will abandon her. Terry appears to display “frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment”, which individuals with a BPD have a tendency to do. (DSM-5; 2013, pg. 663) Terry also has a history of dysfunctional interpersonal relationships that can be seen in her family’s history and current intimate relationship. Her parents are divorced because of the abuse going on in the home towards Terry and her mother. As well as having a boyfriend who is emotionally abusive towards her. The DSM-5 characterized “a pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships” is another sign of a BPD. (DSM-5; 2013, pg. 663)

    Read More

  • Cognitive Behavior Therapy Case Study

    964 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Cognitive-behavior therapy refers to those approaches inspired by the work of Albert Ellis (1962) and Aaron Beck (1976) that emphasize the need for attitude change to promote and maintain behavior modification” (Nichols, 2013, p.185). A fictitious case study will next be presented in order to describe ways in which cognitive behavioral therapy can be used to treat the family members given their presenting problems.

    Read More

  • Depression Case Study

    1495 Words  | 3 Pages

    This paper introduces a 35-year-old female who is exhibiting signs of sadness, lack of interest in daily activities and suicidal tendencies. She has no interest in hobbies, which have been very important to her in the past. Her lack of ambition and her suicidal tendencies are causing great concern for her family members. She is also exhibiting signs of hypersomnia, which will put her in dangerous situations if left untreated. The family has great concern about her leaving the hospital at this time, fearing that she may be a danger to herself. A treatment plan and ethical considerations will be discussed.

    Read More

  • Adaptation and Depression

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    Any time that a group enters a foreign habitat it must adapt to be able to thrive in its new environment. When a bird flies to a new home it must learn what it can and cannot eat in that area. The bird must learn what predators it has to avoid and what the climate is in its new environment. When a person moves from one neighborhood to another they have to adjust to the new people. The children must learn the slang that is spoken at the local school. The parents must learn what type of traffic laws are enforced. They must learn what restaurants are good and which are to be avoided. It is so difficult to move from one neighborhood to another, and it is so much harder to transplant oneself from one culture to an entirely new one where everything is new. Dominicans who come to America must cope with learning a new language and a new lifestyle. They are moving from the country in which they were so comfortable to a new one where they are unwelcome and often unhappy. Dominicans in the United States are facing problems, which ultimately lead them to be depressed people. This depression cycles in with their other problems to eventually give them a low quality of living, in a nation which has one of the highest qualities of living of any place in the world.

    Read More

  • Physical Effects Of Childhood Trauma

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    The indicators of BPD are dramatic and obvious. Those suffering from it tend to be significantly unstable in their interactions with other people as well as their behavior when alone. Impulse control and ability to discern moral decisions are significantly deteriorated in those with BPD and they are often destructive toward themselves and their relationships with others, if not outright violent. Casual contact with a sufferer of BPD might be deceptive because many are able to appear stable, but rapid and unpredictable mood and behavior shifts are common. Neglect and abuse, particularly sexual, are seen in almost all who are diagnosed with BPD. The lack of attachments during developmental years results in an inability to form or value attachments later in life. While reduced hippocampal volume is a brain deformation associated with PTSD as well as BPD, BPD also presents with a reduced amygdala volume which is possibly the cause of the notably increased aggression and reduced emotional stability of those with BPD (Lieb et al., 2004, pgs.

    Read More

  • Depression in Children and Adolescents

    2000 Words  | 4 Pages

    Depression in children is qualitatively different from depression in adults – these people are more at risk for more severe illnesses in adulthood, as well, which suggests that depression in young people has the potential to be particularly problematic. 60% of adolescents with depression will have recurrences in adulthood and also have a higher rate of suicide throughout their life (Clark, Jansen, & Cloy, 2012). The symptoms of childhood depression might be mistaken for normal mood swings as pertinent to changing developmental stages, and is often presented as irritability and negative attitudes. Diagnosis of depression in children is difficult for this reason, and therefore it must be stressed how careful one must be when diagnosing mental illness in children (“Depression”, 2014). Furthermore, there is a stigma against labeling a child as depressed, which might make it even harder to diagnose depression in children. An example of this is how clinicians might be quick to diagnose children with adjustment disorder (AD) than rather consider the possibility of diagnosing with one of the more serious and long-term depressive disorders. The nature of AD is that it is a ‘temporary’ psychological reaction to an identified stressor that involves impairment in social, occupational, or school functions. This reaction must occur within 3 months of encountering the stressor and cannot last for more than 6 months (Newcorn, J.H. & Strain, J, 1992). This is tied to the historical notion that children cannot be depressed, even as psychology as a field has evolved to acknowledge that children and adolescents can be depressed.

    Read More

More about Adjustment Disorder Case Study

Open Document