Jamie Richards is a freshman at a near-by community college. Normally a good student, she contacted student counselling services for some help when her grades started to slip. She always loved school and now found it harder and harder to find the energy to devote to her classes. Jamie begins, "Well, it all started when my step-dad raped my sister when she was 11 years old. She's now 14 but only told me about it last month. Of course I told my mom right away. It broke her heart. I felt so bad. Anyway, from that moment on my whole life changed. First off, I f_ _ ked up things with my boyfriend." Jamie admits that she had flirted with her boyfriend's best friend. "I know I broke my boyfriend's heart. I feel so miserable and I hate knowing that I broke somebody else's heart just like my step-dad broke mine, my mom's, and my little sister's," said Jamie." She continues, "Anyway, this has been going on for the past 3 months and I just feel so down. I cry at the drop of a hat and feel so hopeless about ever getting back to 'normal'." What is the likely diagnosis for Jamie Richards?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Jamie Richards is likely experiencing an Adjustment Disorder, as her symptoms began in response to a specific stressor (her sister's disclosure of rape by their step-dad) and involve emotional and behavioral symptoms (feeling down, crying easily, hopelessness) that have disrupted her normal functioning (e.g., her grades slipping). Unlike Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Acute Stress Disorder, which are related to directly experiencing or witnessing traumatic events, Adjustment Disorder is related to the development of emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to an identifiable stressor within three months of the stressor occurring. Reactive Attachment Disorder is related to severe neglect or mistreatment in childhood and does not fit Jamie's situation.

Jamie Richards Is a Freshman at a Near-By Community College