Los Angeles Valley College Psychological Disorders and Therapies Case Study
I’m studying for my Psychology class and don’t understand how to answer this. Can you help me study?
Read the following case about Emma and then answer the questions that follow:
Emma’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bond, were worried about their 16 year old; for over a year she had been on a diet that didn’t seem to stop. They didn’t understand why she was on a diet because she had never been overweight, and it didn’t seem as though she had secured any happiness from her diet. Emma’s dieting behaviors made her more withdrawn, depressed and anxious. Every time her parents expressed their concerns, she burst into tears or shouted at them. She had stopped eating with the family and spent most of her time in her bedroom. She was still going to school and doing extremely well in her exams, but her friends were worried about her. Emma’s parents had repeatedly suggested that she go to see the doctor but she insisted that there was nothing wrong with her, asking them why they couldn’t just leave her alone. Mr. and Mrs. Bond had started to disagree about how to handle Emma’s behavior and argued frequently. As a result of this, Emma’s younger brother and sister were very angry with her and wouldn’t talk to her.
Finally, Mr and Mrs Bond received a phone call from school to say that Emma had fainted and an ambulance had been called. She was immediately admitted to a hospital as an inpatient because her weight was dangerously low. Emma also had a very low heart rate (bradycardia) and a low temperature (hypothermia). Emma had repeated blood tests and an electrocardiogram (ECG). Because of her bradycardia and hypothermia she was nursed on bed rest with 24-hour care. She was prescribed a gradually increasing diet by the dietitian, and was supported to increase her dietary intake to improve her physical health and weight. At the same time, her parents had made an appointment with a mental health counselor for the next day.
You just happen to be in the right place at the right time! You are the mental health counselor that will be seeing Emma. Please respond to the following questions:
1. Please explain what you think is the correct diagnosis for Emma (Please explain your reasoning. List the symptoms out and connect them with the potential diagnosis.)
2. What treatment strategy would you attempt? (Please explain your reasoning using the evidence and what the research tells you)
