Psychopathology Case Study

Psychopathology Case Study

It is difficult for doctors to recommend an accurate diagnosis and therefore, there is a need for differential diagnosis (Volkmar, 2015). The research paper entails the background information of the patient, presentation of the complaint and an analysis of the diagnosis, and the differential diagnoses.

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Presentation of the Complaint

Jackie is a 28-year-old Caucasian woman with no prior diagnosis of any mental health condition. However, she has past experiences of child abuse, abandonment, anxiety, and distrust issues. Upon delivery of her third baby, she experienced symptoms of clinical depression (Volkmar, 2015). Recently, she left her job because of increased tiredness and emotional wreck conditions andthereforeshe is seeking treatment for the following reasons:

• Sleep deprivation;
• Irritability;
• Difficulty in waking up;
• Suicidal thoughts;
• Increased levels of sadness;

Other long-term symptoms include:

• Low self-esteem;
• She describes that she left employment because of tiredness, irritability, and sleep deprivation;
• She experiences distrust issues especially with men and therefore she has difficulties in maintaining relationships;
• Jackie has signs of paranoia demonstrated by her feeling that the doctors and her poor relationships misunderstand her in the past.

Background Information

Life Events

Brought up as a first-born and in a highly educated family, Jackie had a constant need for perfection. However, her family was dysfunctional as a single dad brought her with an abusive habit for his children. As if this was not enough, her mother was barely around and Jackie mentions that she had a history of alcohol abuse.  Despite these challenges, she was able to pursue her education to the college level. Poor parenting, neglect, and abuse characterize her childhood. This shaped her irrational behavior into her teenage and working years. To finalize on her life events, she got employed for 4 years with no serious difficulties until the birth of her third baby. Her rather depressing life is characterized by her giving up the children for adoption and the death of her parents.

Genetics and Temperament

Behavioral genetic are evident from her father’s abusive and emotional instability. Studies show that child temperaments are genetically influenced. In addition, behavioral genetics and shared environmental influences in a child can progress to their adult years. For instance, Jackie had identifiable behavioral and hereditary characteristics(her mother who had alcohol problems).

Socio-Economic and Environmental Factors

Socio-economical, cultural and environmental factors influencing a child are essential in their adulthood development. In this case, Jackie’s childhood is characterized by a shift from shelter to shelter. Studies show that there is a positive correlation between a child’s upbringing and their future relationships. This is evident in her inability to maintain long-term relationships.  The current history of abuse by men has further aggravated her condition. Furthermore, her distance from her sisters is a major indication of her relationship issues. From the case study, her physical conditions seem normal but her medical conditions are not very encouraging.

Lastly, the patient has no record of present and past drug abuse problem.

Diagnostic Formulations

Major Depressive Disorder

A forecast on Jackie’s mental condition based on etiological factors, patient’s background and historical behavior relates to the Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). MDD is a type of clinical depression characterized by interference in the ability to work, eat, and sleep, among other factors. The criteria met in recommending this diagnosis are derived from a critical look at Jackie’s symptoms, reasons for her behavior, her medical condition and also her background (Preston, 2010). Unipolar disorder takes a toll on a person’s social and work relationships. To illustrate that, Jackie left her job upon being overwhelmed by exhaustion, irritability and sleep deprivation. Furthermore, most of her relationships have been dysfunctional ranging from her romantic relationships, family relationship and her relationship with her children, who were eventually given up for adoption (Keyes, 2006). The case study states, “Jackie reports a pervasive pattern of instability in relationships mood, treatment participation, and self-image”. Further, a look on her childhood and teenage history suggests that this disorder has been developing for a while now (Preston, 2010).

Examples of Criteria used include:

• Family discord – It is a major cause of MDD. Jackie gave up her babies for adoption and she was distant with her sisters.
• Look at the medical symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, and sleeplessness.
• Poor relationships with family, friends and spouses.
• Extreme symptoms such as suicidal thoughts, low self-esteem and paranoia.

Differential Diagnosis

Postpartum Depression (PD)

A deeper look at the diagnosis and Jackie’s current symptoms indicate the need for a differential. Firstly, she demonstrates signs of postpartum depression (PD). This is a form of depression that occurs after giving birth. It is expected for women to have “baby blues” after birth, but if the conditions persist, then they are likely to suffer from postpartum depression. It is characterized by lethargy, fatigue, excessive crying, depressed mood, loss of appetite, insomnia irritability, and difficulty in waking up. The case study states that the symptoms became persistent after her third delivery. It is evident that these symptoms are common in both diagnoses. The difference is that some of these symptoms occurred after the birth of the third baby. Therefore, the uncertainty led to the differential diagnosis.

Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD)

Jackie’s symptoms suggest the expression of moods, poor sleep, and irritability for the past 2 years. Such symptoms for such a time span fall in the brackets for persistent depressive disorder. This disorder occurs have recurring episodes of depression but with less severe symptoms (Preston, 2010). The difference from the diagnoses is that for a span of 2 years, the symptoms have persisted (Volkmar, 2015).

It is worth noting that they’re if there is a slight chance that her parents suffered from bipolar disorder; she could have genetically inherited the disorder. However, the case clearly states that she did not imitate manic or hyper manic symptoms except for her spiritual false beliefs.

Conclusion

The essay analyses the case based on the patient’s background, recurring symptoms and her past relationships. After evaluating Jackie’s condition, the paper provides the diagnosis and differential diagnosis. The field of psychopathology has put a major study on mental disorders with a keen focus on diagnoses and differential diagnosis as patients may mirror symptoms from two or more disorders (Keyes, 2006).

References

Keyes, C.L.M., & Goodman, S.H. (2006). Women and depression: A handbook for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Preston, J., O’Neal, J.H., & Talaga, M C. (2010). Handbook of clinical psychopharmacology for therapists. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

Volkmar, F.R., Paul, R., & Klin, A. (2015). Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders Volume 1. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.