Tag: Case Study Analysis

Gary is a 42-year-old African American engineer at a local firm. He has always been a high achiever and can drive himself hard. In the past year he was in a serious car accident when he was hit by a drunk driver and he lost his 69-year-old mother after a 4 month bout of pancreatic cancer. While Gary has recovered fully from the accident he is very nervous driving. He has started experiencing panic attacks and general anxiety about driving. He tried counseling once but said “it wasn’t for me.” He has been diagnosed with Panic Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He is a regular though moderate user of alcohol (4-6 drinks per week, mostly on the weekend). His physician initially prescribed paroxetine (20 mg. a day) but Gary said it killed his sex drive and he quit taking it after 10 days. His doctor is open to prescribing him a benzodiazepine but wants Gary to try counseling one more time if she prescribes that. She says the PTSD is the primary problem, believing treatment gains made in Gary’s PTSD will result in the panic subsiding. Again, Gary was hesitant to go to counseling

In one page respond to the four questions asked below. Draw from clinical experience and expertise, published research, and course texts, to answer these questions. Come to a consensus on how to best treat the client.

Paper must be in APA 7th edition It would be best to utilize headers as you address each question, being sure to apply APA 7th edition these headers. Intext citations and a reference page, also in APA formatting, are appropriate as well. Be sure to reference the case rubric below for further guidance.

1) Why do you think Gary is so reticent about counseling? How would you discuss this with him if you were the therapist?
2) What would you tell Gary about the side effects?
3) Why do you think the doctor was hesitant to prescribe the alprazolam?
4) Gary asks you if he will get “strung out” on the alprazolam. How would you respond?

Gary is a 42-year-old African American engineer at a local firm. He has always been a high achiever and can drive himself hard. In the past year he was in a serious car accident when he was hit by a drunk driver and he lost his 69-year-old mother after a 4 month bout of pancreatic cancer. While Gary has recovered fully from the accident he is very nervous driving. He has started experiencing panic attacks and general anxiety about driving. He tried counseling once but said “it wasn’t for me.” He has been diagnosed with Panic Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He is a regular though moderate user of alcohol (4-6 drinks per week, mostly on the weekend). His physician initially prescribed paroxetine (20 mg. a day) but Gary said it killed his sex drive and he quit taking it after 10 days. His doctor is open to prescribing him a benzodiazepine but wants Gary to try counseling one more time if she prescribes that. She says the PTSD is the primary problem, believing treatment gains made in Gary’s PTSD will result in the panic subsiding. Again, Gary was hesitant to go to counseling

In one page respond to the four questions asked below. Draw from clinical experience and expertise, published research, and course texts, to answer these questions. Come to a consensus on how to best treat the client.

Paper must be in APA 7th edition It would be best to utilize headers as you address each question, being sure to apply APA 7th edition these headers. Intext citations and a reference page, also in APA formatting, are appropriate as well. Be sure to reference the case rubric below for further guidance.

1) Why do you think Gary is so reticent about counseling? How would you discuss this with him if you were the therapist?
2) What would you tell Gary about the side effects?
3) Why do you think the doctor was hesitant to prescribe the alprazolam?
4) Gary asks you if he will get “strung out” on the alprazolam. How would you respond?

Gary is a 42-year-old African American engineer at a local firm. He has always been a high achiever and can drive himself hard. In the past year he was in a serious car accident when he was hit by a drunk driver and he lost his 69-year-old mother after a 4 month bout of pancreatic cancer. While Gary has recovered fully from the accident he is very nervous driving. He has started experiencing panic attacks and general anxiety about driving. He tried counseling once but said “it wasn’t for me.” He has been diagnosed with Panic Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He is a regular though moderate user of alcohol (4-6 drinks per week, mostly on the weekend). His physician initially prescribed paroxetine (20 mg. a day) but Gary said it killed his sex drive and he quit taking it after 10 days. His doctor is open to prescribing him a benzodiazepine but wants Gary to try counseling one more time if she prescribes that. She says the PTSD is the primary problem, believing treatment gains made in Gary’s PTSD will result in the panic subsiding. Again, Gary was hesitant to go to counseling

In one page respond to the four questions asked below. Draw from clinical experience and expertise, published research, and course texts, to answer these questions. Come to a consensus on how to best treat the client.

Paper must be in APA 7th edition It would be best to utilize headers as you address each question, being sure to apply APA 7th edition these headers. Intext citations and a reference page, also in APA formatting, are appropriate as well. Be sure to reference the case rubric below for further guidance.

1) Why do you think Gary is so reticent about counseling? How would you discuss this with him if you were the therapist?
2) What would you tell Gary about the side effects?
3) Why do you think the doctor was hesitant to prescribe the alprazolam?
4) Gary asks you if he will get “strung out” on the alprazolam. How would you respond?

Case Study of Mr. Angeli:
Mr. Angeli is an 82-year-old Italian man who was referred to your office by his primary care provider for
treatment of depression. His primary care provider discussed antidepressants with Mr. Angeli, but he was
resistant to this approach.
During your intake assessment, you learn that Mr. Angeli emigrated to America when he was 7 years old. He
worked at a variety of jobs throughout his life and had been divorced twice. He had two children, a son and
daughter. His daughter died in her teens, but Mr. Angeli would not expand on this, and instead focused on his
son with whom he lives. He moved in with his son and his son’s wife about 6 months ago because he was
having difficulty caring for his house. Mr. Angeli informs you that his son said that he could come and live with
him. He has since sold his house and when speaking of its sale, tells you “I’ve been able to help my son out
with some money- he lost his job last year and has been having trouble finding work.”
Mr. Angeli begins to open a bit more and informs you that his two divorces resulted from his “trouble with
drinking” over the years. He explains having lived a very stressful life and talks about some of the challenges
with being marginally educated and his years of struggle to make ends meet. He acknowledges that over the
years he “lost his patience” with his children a few times, to which he adds “I never meant to hurt them, I love
them.”
Mr. Angeli has problems with high blood pressure and what he describes as “liver problems.” He says that he
goes to see his primary care provider once a month for follow up treatment.
Several times during the clinical interview, Mr. Angeli becomes tearful, but fights the tears from coming. He
states that he feels both “helpless” and that “things will only get worse for me.” When you ask him what he
means by this, he pauses and says “well, sometimes when my son has been drinking, he gets a little nasty.”
He further divulges that he “understands” how his son feels as he used to get like that himself. He then admits
that during one of his son’s drinking episodes, he got into an argument with his son & that his glasses got
broken- to which he added with a small smile “thankfully I had this other pair!” as he points to his face. He said
that when his son has been drinking, he often says “some really nasty” things to him. Mr. Angeli explains that
he has been giving his son money from his social security check, and has also been giving him additional
monies from the sale of his house. He also reports that from time to time, he hears his son and his wife
fighting, which frightens him as he says that “it reminds me of the fights I used to get into with my two wives.”
You ask Mr. Angeli if he is afraid of his son and he remains silent…
PART 1:
After reading the above case study, please respond to the following questions:
1. Do you think abuse has occurred? If so, what type of abuse? What additional information is needed to help
you decide?
2. Describe the theoretical orientation that may explain the context of the abuse. The following are the more 
Caregiver Stress Theory
Social Learning Theory (Cycle of Violence Model A.K.A. Intergenerational Transmission of Violence Mode)
The Social Exchange Theory
The Background-Situational Theory (Dyadic Discord Theory)
Power and Control Theory
Ecological Model
Biopsychosocial Model
Be sure to provide the rationale for the theory selected- that is, why do you think the theory selected is the best
fit for the situation?
3. What needs to be done immediately in this situation?
PART 2:
Part two of the assignment will require you to research the state where you practice (or plan to practice) and
describe your legal obligation as a psychologist to report elder abuse allegations. After you have researched
this information you will address the following questions:
1. What is your legal obligation to report elder abuse? Be certain to describe how will you address issues of
abuse that were divulged to you in confidence by the patient?
2. What types of abuse/maltreatment are you obligated to report? Discuss the reporting process and what is
involved.
3. What are the timelines for reporting? Specifically, once you become aware of the allegation of abuse or have
reasonable cause to believe that an older adult is being abused, how long do you have to make a report to the
agency responsible for making such reports? NOTE: Some states require you to report to more than one
agency- if this is the case, what are the timelines for reporting to each agency?
4. What are you required (under state law) to do immediately to keep the older adult safe?
5. Imagine that you are going to continue providing care for the individual who is being abused. Describe the
steps you would take to providing care to the abuse victim.
Assignment Outcomes
Identify legal and ethical issues relevant to older adults including elderly abuse reporting.

Case Study -Sam and Steve were born on September 15, 1972 to Laura and David Brown. Sam was a jolly
baby who smiled and cooed at his parents and others. Steve, on the other hand, cried frequently, did not adapt
well to school, and did not enjoy playing with others.For the first five years of the twins’ life, Laura stayed home
with the children while David continued working at a local factory. She always seemed to favor Sam and
considered Steve her difficult child. David seemed sympathetic to Steve, but the marriage was not a strong one
and he increasingly spent less time at home, preferring a local pub. Finances were a struggle for the family
and, partly due to David’s drinking, he rarely came home with a full paycheck. Laura eventually took a job as a
server in a nearby restaurant to earn extra income for the family, leaving the children with a neighborhood
sitter. However, she soon began staying at the restaurant after her shift, drinking heavily. Inebriated, she would
come home late at night, often waking the children and demanding that they complete chores such as cleaning
their rooms or scrubbing the toilets. She frequently hit both twins but was particularly abusive to Steve, often
calling him “worthless” and a “loser.” David continued to spend his days working at the factory and evenings
drinking; when Laura abused the boys, he left the house or remained silent. On weekends, he earned extra
money as a handy man. The twins attended school and spent after school hours with their grandmother. When
the twins were fourteen, Laura left the home. Since her move, she has had contact with neither David nor the
twins. The couple subsequently divorced, and David assumed responsibility for the twins with the help of his
mother. At age sixteen, after a serious fight with his father, Sam moved in with his grandmother, dropped out of
high school, and worked as a bus boy in a local restaurant. Adults in his life encouraged him to re-enroll in
school a year later, and he eventually graduated. He reconciled with his father, took out loans to attend college
out of state and eventually earned a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Education. He is now
married, teaches middle school science, and coaches his daughter’s soccer team.Steve has battled substance
abuse since age thirteen. He was frequently truant from school and was arrested for vandalizing the school.
Although he was never placed in juvenile detention, he was considered an at-risk juvenile and was enrolled in
a number of special programs, including counseling, substance abuse, and anger management. Steve had a
close network of friends, all of whom had difficult backgrounds and have been in trouble with the law. At age
17, Steve became a father to a girl named Abby, whom he sees on occasion. She is now 3 years old. Recently
he tried to use Abby’s name and social security number to obtain credit cards, because his own cards had high
balances that he was unable to pay. Steve has never held a job for more than a month.Explain the differences
between Sam and Steve from a neurobiological perspective. What do we know about their biological make-up?
What additional information would be helpful to have?