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CASE STUDY
Case Study: Amara
Travis Erdmann
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
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CASE STUDY: AMARA
Client Concerns
Symptoms Behaviors Stressors
Uncontrollable anxiety Daily worry about everything; mind
racing with worry most of day
Taking care of elderly mother and
helping watch grandchildren
Fatigue Trouble sleeping, waking up during
the night in worry
Children and grandchildren pulling
away from her due to her anxiety
Irritable, angry Snaping and fighting with family Fear about who will care for her
when she is old
Sadness Unable to sit still when worrying Loss of relationships from recent
retirement
Tension in body,
headaches
Increased alcohol consumption Grief from the passing of husband
4 years ago from cancer
Lack of motivation Worrying about financial provision
despite having more than enough
Assessment
The central symptom of Amara’s difficulties is uncontrollable and excessive anxiety that
started 18 months ago. Based on the presenting symptoms and length, the initial diagnosis of
generalized anxiety disorder has been chosen. To test for this disorder, I would use the GAD-7
assessment tool, as it is considered one of the most frequently used self-reporting scales for
anxiety disorders (Jordan et al., 2017). The GAD-7 was developed to provide general physicians
with a brief, reliable, and accurate self-reporting tool to identify generalized anxiety in primary
care (Jordan et al., 2017). Research has shown that the GAD-7 is a reliable and accurate
assessment of anxiety in the general population (Hinz et al., 2017). The symptom of anxiety is
already prominent and clear; therefore, Beck’s Anxiety Inventory would not help narrow down
the anxiety diagnosis due to its simpler 21-question self-reporting instrument.
Diagnostic Impression
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