Post- Irene

Respond  by providing  one alternative therapeutic  approach. Explain why you suggest this  alternative and support your  suggestion with evidence-based literature  and/or your own experiences  with clients. 

NOTE: (positive Comment)

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The patient in this  story is a 15year-old male Native American. The patient is from a  divorced family with no known psychiatric history. The patient appears  to be losing interest in activities recently with self-harm thoughts and  attempts. He also reported a recent history of attempted suicide by  overdosing on acetaminophen. There is reported insomnia, low  self-esteem, and low energy level. It is now difficult for his mother to  please him. He is withdrawn from friends and endorses depression.

DSM-5 DIAGNOSIS

DSM5: The  suggestive diagnosis for this youngster is Major Depressive disorder. A  major depressive disorder is a severe mood disorder. People suffering  from significant depressive disorder experience persistent feelings of  sadness and hopelessness and lose interest in activities they once  enjoyed. The individual having depression must experience five or more  symptoms in two weeks, and these symptoms must consist of depressed mood  or loss of interest or pleasure. (Truschel, 2020). This diagnosis is  consistent with the reported patient's low energy, low self-esteem,  suicidal thoughts and attempts, and loss of interest in activities like  stopping to attend school band rehearsal. The patient reported a loss of  close friends due to interpersonal conflict, with his school grades  declining. They feel negative and worthless, anger, poor performance,  poor attendance at school, misunderstood, extremely sensitive, and  avoidance of social interaction. (Mayo Clinic, 2018). The patient  reportedly denied auditory or visual hallucinations; no abnormality was  observed in his concentration or attention level. Memory was observed to  be intact, and no new substance use was reported.

PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC APPROACH

The group therapy  approach that may be beneficial for this patient is Interpersonal  Psychotherapy for Adolescents (IPT-A). This psychotherapeutic approach  aims to make improvements in problematic relationships and circumstances  connected to the child's current behavior. This therapy evaluates an  adolescent's social, emotional, and academic functioning and establishes  a therapeutic relationship that will enable a closer look at and  identify the factor that is causing the current mood change or behavior.  (APA, 2019)

EXPECTED OUTCOME

The expected  outcome of this therapy is the improvement of communication between the  patient and relations- Patient learns how to effectively communicate his  emotions and strategic means of solving problems in a relationship.  Also, social confidence is built in a patient with interpersonal  psychotherapy by teaching problem-solving strategies. The patient learns  how to deal with future depressive episodes and improve his  relationship with others. With Interpersonal Psychotherapy approach,  social isolation is reduced, and the interpersonal relationship becomes  better resulting in improvement in depression

LEGAL AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS

The issue of  confidentiality must be assured. Therapists must obtain the child's  consent and that of the parents or guardian by writing before  psychotherapy or psychiatric treatment is considered. The issue of  autonomy is respected as the patient has every right to accept or refuse  the treatment. Establishment of a therapeutic relationship is vital in  adolescents as they have a problem with trust. The therapist must ensure  that whatever therapeutic approach is for the patient's benefit and not  for experimentation of knowledge. Finally, the therapist must ensure  that his or her actions are justified during the therapeutic section.  The therapist must respect the professionalism, boundaries, and respect.  (Drake, 2020)

REFERENCES

American  Psychology Association- APA (2019) Depression Treatments for Children  and Adolescents. Retrieved from;  https://www.apa.org/depression-guideline/children-and-adolescents/

Drake,  W (2020) Ethical Issues in Counseling with Children and Adults.  Retrieved from  https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/counseling/ethical-issues-in-counseling-with-children-and-adults/

Mayo  Clinic (2018) Depression (major depressive disorder). Retrieved from  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007

Truschel,  J (2020) Depression Definition and DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria. Retrieved  from  https://www.psycom.net/depression-definition-dsm-5-diagnostic-criteria/#:~:text=Depression%20DSM-5%20Diagnostic%20Criteria%201%20Depressed%