PSYC 412 Chapter Notes -Separation Anxiety Disorder, School Refusal, Educational Specialist

• School: McGill University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 412
• Professor: Melanie Dirks

Document Summary

Clinical issues: case study of felicia, 13, referred to a clinician because of depression, school refusal, social withdrawal at home and school, and sleep disturbance. Normative information: felicia"s school refusal and sad mood started to occur after her mother"s hospitalization. Purposes of assessment: three common purposes of assessment, 1) description and diagnosis, 2) prognosis, 3) treatment. Felicia"s assessment will involve a complete diagnostic (problem-solving analysis). She may receive a formal diagnosis of mdd, and maybe a secondary diagnosis of an anxiety disorder because comorbidity of depression and anxiety is common among girls her age. Interviewees convey their thoughts and feelings with minimal guidance, in ways that approximate how they think and feel in everyday life: nonverbal communications are also important for observations. For example, a family history of felicia showed that her parents babied her, leading to a general pattern of overdependency on her parents that is contributing to her school refusal.