Running head: CASE STUDY1
Case Study 1
Lisa Robertson
Liberty University
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Case Study
This case study of Kristen will explore Key issues, diagnostic impressions, and treatment
options available to her. Kristen is 38 years old. She divorced from her husband four years ago
and she co-parents her two teenage daughters with her ex-husband. Kristen reports that she is not
interested in a romantic relationship at this time.
Kristen has a promising career in upper-management and has been with her current
company for the last 6 years. Even though she is stable and currently able to provide for her
family, she still constantly worries that she will lose her job and become homeless. She reports
that she has not always been this way. The feelings that she is having started 8 months ago.
Although she reported that she has support from her family, church, and friends, she stated that
no matter how hard she tries she cannot stop thinking the negative thoughts.
The constant worrying and racing thoughts keep her up at night causing her to be unable
to get the proper rest that she needs, which causes her to be tired and lose focus at work. She
also complains of muscle pain and tension in her body. Kristen did not report any specific
reasons why she is constantly worrying about losing her job. She did mention that the economy
was not in the best shape, but other than that, she has not personally had any issues that would
affect her future position at her place of employment.
I.Key Issues
A.She reports having trouble controlling her constant worrying and negative thinking over
the past 8 months.
B. She’s constantly about losing her livelihood and being unable to provide for her children
II.Diagnostic Impressions
Kristen's key issues fall under DSM-5 category of anxiety disorders. According to the DSM-
5, anxiety disorders “Include disorders that share features of excessive fear and anxiety and
related behavioral disturbances (APA, 2015, p.227). After carefully assessing Kristen’s key
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C.She’s been embarrassed at work due to lack of focus in meetings. losing track of what she
was supposed to say.
D.She is always thinking of worst-case scenarios pertaining to becoming unemployed and
ending up homeless.
E.Kristen reports feeling restless, tired, and tense most of the time.
F.When she goes to bed at night, she has a hard time falling asleep due to racing thoughts.
G.She has muscles aches even though she hasn’t been involved in any strenuous activities.
H.Unjustified worries about her daughter’s becoming addicted to drugs and her parents
becoming ill even though her daughters get good grades and do not participate in any bad
activities and her parents have not reported any major health issues.
I.She noted that she is has no desire to be in a romantic relationship and worries that her
irritability will make her difficult to date
Although all of Kristen’s issues are important and need to be addressed. Kristen’s key issues
were placed in this order based on how damaging they could potentially be to her and her
children’s life if not addressed. It is important to find out if something has happened in the last 8
months that could possibly be the root of her problem. Because her worrying has begun to affect
her job performance, it will rank higher on the list than her lack of interest in dating.
III. Treatment Recommendation
A.Individual therapy: Among the many treatment options to be explored, Kristen
will benefit most from Cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy
is widely used for anxiety disorders (Kring, Johnson, Davison, & Neale, 2018).
Through cognitive behavior therapy Kristen will begin to discover any underlying
issues that may cause her anxiety, think more positively, learn to relax, and
develop coping and problem-solving skills. Cognitive behavior therapy will teach
Kristen how to gain control of her automatic thoughts. It will allow her to identify
her negative thinking patterns in a structured conscious manner particularly when
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issues and the DSM-5, I found that Kristen is suffering from generalized anxiety disorder
(GAD). All of Kristen’s important key issues have been present for more than 6 months and they
align with all of the symptoms of GAD. These include persistent and excessive anxiety and
worry about work, lack of control of her negative thoughts, restlessness, irritability, tension,
tiredness, difficulty concentrating, and inability to focus while doing her job (APA, 2013).
Kristen did not report any substance use or other medical problems such as bipolar,
psychotic, or depressive disorders that could contribute to her symptoms. Although she did
mention her concern about her social life, she did not seem to have a great fear of being social.
She was more concerned that her worrying would not make her very dateable. Kristen reported
having unwanted thoughts but because her worries were pertaining to real-life concerns,
obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), was ruled out (APA, 2013). There was no mention of any
kind of stressful or traumatic event that occurred in the last 3 months so post-traumatic stress
syndrome disorder (PTSD) also did not apply to her situation.
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she is upset (Murdock, 2013). In most cases Kristen has been aware of her
feelings of embarrassment, irritability, and, anxiousness. However, according to
(Murdock, 2013), through cognitive behavior therapy she will most likely benefit
from learning to identify the negative thoughts that lead to the negative emotions.
B.Psychopharmacology: Kristen and I agreed that she may benefit from medication
therapy. There are many medication options that help control anxiety. Kristen will
be referred to a qualified psychiatrist who will assist her with her pharmaceutical
options.
C.Group therapy: Group therapy will also help Kristen deal with her anxiety and
become more social. With the help of her peers, she will become aware of her
feeling of anger, sadness, anxiety, and irritability. Group therapy will also be
helpful because Kristen will meet new people and begin to regain confidence. She
will see that she is not alone. Group therapy will also begin to give Kristen the
control to think differently and more positively (Murdock, 2013).
D.Journal Writing: It is very important that Kristen learn how to be aware of her
negative thoughts and her triggers (Kring, et. al, 2018). Kristen has agreed to
write down what she is feeling every time she begins to feel anxious. She will
note any triggers or other circumstances that may have contributed to her negative
thoughts.
E.Church involvement: Kristen reported that she identifies as a Christian and is
actively involved in her current church. She will become more active in any
support groups or programs they may offer in her church. She will also use The
Bible as a tool to help keep her thinking positive.
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References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
(5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.
Kring, A. M., Johnson, S. L., Davison, G., & Neale, J. (2018). Abnormal psychology: The
science and treatment of psychological disorders (14th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. ISBN: 9781119456230.
Murdock, N. L. (2013). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy: A case approach (3rd ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
