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Assignment of Content Analysis

Submitted to

Miss Faiza Safdar

Submitted by

Hadiqa Asif

Roll No BS-CP14F20

BS-VI

Session 2020-2024

Centre for Clinical Psychology

University of the Punjab,

Lahore
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Case study on Major Depressive Disorder

• Patient: Allyson

• Age: 43

• Gender: Female

• Occupation: Consultant

• Marital Status: Married

• Children: 1(daughter)

Chief Complaint

The patient presents with a chief complaint of feeling depressed most of the day. She

reports that she lost interest in activities which she was interested in before. She experiences a

decrease in appetite which results in significant weight loss. She experiences hypersomnia. In

addition, she experiences excessive fatigue or energy loss. Because of her malfunctioning and

loss of interest, she blames herself and fears that she will lose everything. This results in suicidal

thoughts in her.

History of Present Illness

She alluded that the onset of the condition was about 7 months ago, and which is

considered to be concurrent with depression. Allyson claims that she has been experiencing a

feeling of depression. She claims she is always sad, tired, and angry and feels hopeless. For her,

everything seems gray. She reports that she lost interest in activities which she was interested in

before and upset about the fact that she lost interest in raising Rose (her daughter). She

experiences a decrease in appetite which results in significant weight loss which she claims to be

something positive since she perceives herself as overweight. In addition, she experiences

excessive fatigue or energy loss. This fatigue because of her not being able to concentrate on the
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job and commuting to the job is now a big trouble for her. According to Allyson, she first started

feeling depressed after she gave birth to Rose. Allyson claims that her doctor did not diagnose

her as experiencing postpartum depression. About 3 weeks later, her mood uplifted again but her

symptoms worsened for the past year or so. In addition, she claims she experiences abnormal

sleep pattern which causes her to oversleep about 12 hours and 14 hours. However, according to

Allyson, her family does not admit weakness and does not believe in therapy, she did not get

proper treatment which may have worsened her symptoms. Allyson was not a good student at

high school and college. She did not go through any significant traumatizing events such as loss

of close people, abuse, bullying and so on. Allison worked for a telecommunications company

for eight years before her marriage to Roy and their move to New York. She now works as a

consultant while raising Rose. She is financially very stable due to her husband who is a medical

doctor and herself working as a consultant. She reported that she is seeking treatment due to a

fear that she would lose everything. It seems Allyson self-referred herself to a treatment since

she reports none of the doctors, she saw diagnosed her as having depression.

Past Medical History

She reports that she has experienced feeling depressed as early as she was 13. She is

experiencing a back pain.

Family History

Allyson grew up in the family who experienced holocaust and according to her, her

mother also experienced depression.

Mental Status Examination

The patient is a middle-aged woman who is in acute distress. She is not well alert and

oriented to person, place, and time. Her mood is depressed, and her affect is congruent with her
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mood. She is sad and tired. She is lacking interest in activities. She is underweight. She seems

hopeless and has suicidal thoughts.

Diagnosis

The patient is diagnosed with major depressive disorder, major depressive episode.

Treatment Plan

The seven-phase treatment plan will be starting with anti-depressant medication to

address the client’s depression and a weekly chiropractic session to address the client’s back

problem. In this seven-phase treatment plan, she is scheduled for psychotherapy, dietary and

physical fitness needs, client’s sleeping habits. In phase seven the psychotherapist will begin the

cognitive approach to this client’s treatment plan. This phase is set to begin after week twelve of

the client’s psychotherapy sessions.

Prognosis

The prognosis for major depressive disorder is variable. However, some may recover

fully from an episode of MDD after several months; this is not unusual. The disorder can be

chronic, and patients may experience relapses.

Discussion

Major depressive disorder is a serious mental illness that can cause significant

impairment in a person’s life. The symptoms of bipolar disorder can be very disruptive, and they

can lead to problems in relationships, work, and school. However, with proper treatment, patients

can achieve remission of their symptoms and lead normal lives.

Content Analysis

• Patient: Allyson Code: Name

• Age: 43 Code: Age

• Gender: Female Code: gender

• Occupation: Consultant Code: education

• Marital Status: Married Code: marital state

• Children: 1 (daughter) Code: Children

Category of name, age and gender is (Background Information)

Category of education, marital state and children is (History)

Theme of above-mentioned categories is (Demographics)

Chief Compliant

The patient presents with a chief complaint of “depressed mood” Code: Feeling blue.

She reports that she has been experiencing loss of interest or pleasure for the past few

months, Code: Lethargy

With fatigue or loss of energy Code: weary

Followed by sleeping for more than 12 hours Code: Hypersomnia

She states that she experiences decrease in appetite and a significant decrease in weight

Code: significant weight loss

She states that she has suicidal thoughts Code: lethal

Category of feeling blue, lethargy, weary, hypersomnia, significant weight loss, lethal is

(major depressive episode)

Theme of above mentioned categories is (Primary Complain)

History of Present Illness

The patient’s symptoms began approximately 7 months ago. Code: Duration of disorder.

She reported that after marriage she started a new job and is not being able to concentrate

on the job and commuting to the job is now a big trouble for her. Code: changes in life

She started to notice that he was sleeping more and more, she claims she experiences

abnormal sleep pattern which causes her to oversleep about 12 hours and 14 hours. Code:

hypersomnia.

And she was becoming depressed and sad. Code: depressed.

She also stated she started to feel tired and fatigued, with loss of energy Code: tiredness.

The patient’s symptoms gradually worsened over the next few weeks. Code: severity

She began to experience suicide thoughts, fear of losing everything. Code: Suicidal

ideation

She also started to have a decrease in her appetite resulting in weight loss. Code:

Changes in appetite.

She also stated she lost interest or pleasure in previously enjoyable activities. Code:

Disinterest

She reported she never had psychological treatment as her family does not admit

weakness and does not believe in therapy Code: Treatment facility.

Category of duration of disorder, changes in life and hypersomnia is (onset and stress)

Category of depressed, disinterest and severity are (depressed and deteriorate)

Category of changes in appetite, tiredness, suicidal ideation, and treatment facility is

(irritability and threat to oneself)

Theme of above mentioned categories is (Record of Illness)

Past Medical History

She reports that she has been experiencing depression since age 13. Code: Teen

depression

She has a problem with back pain. Code: Physical illness

Category of teen depression and physical illness is (Affliction)

Theme of above mentioned categories is (Medical Report)

Family History

The patient’s mother has a history of depression. Code: Depression

She grew up in a family who experienced holocaust. Code: Catastrophe

Category of depression and catastrophe is (Heredity)

Theme of the category is (Family Background)

Mental Status Examination

The patient is a middle-aged woman who is in acute distress. Code: agony.

She is not well alert and oriented to person, place, and time. agony. Awareness of

environment

Her mood is depressed, and her affect is congruent with her mood. She is sad and tired.

Code: Low mood

She is lacking interest in activities. Code: Disenchant

She is underweight. Code: Malnourished

She seems hopeless and has suicidal thoughts. Code: Dejected.

Category of agony, awareness of environment is (unstable condition)

Category of Low mood and disenchant is (withdrawn)

Category of malnourished and dejected is (Apathetic)

Theme of all the above mentioned categories is (Assessment of patient)

Diagnosis

The patient is diagnosed with major depressive disorder, major depressive episode.

Code: Analysis

Treatment Plan

The patient will start with a seven-phase treatment plan. Code: Therapy

The patient will be started on an antidepressant. Code: Medication

She will also be starting on with a weekly chiropractic session. Code: Therapy

She will also be scheduled for psychotherapy. Code: Therapy

She will be starting on with dietary and physical fitness needs. Code: Therapy

She will be starting on with proper sleeping habits. Code: Therapy

She will be scheduled with a cognitive approach. Code: Therapy

Category of Medication and therapy is (cure)

Theme of above mentioned categories is (Management of illness)

Prognosis

The prognosis for major depressive disorder is variable. Code: Fluctuation

With proper treatment, some patients can achieve remission of their symptoms and lead

normal lives. Code: Immunity of symptoms

However, the disorder can be chronic, and patients may experience relapses. Code:

retrogress

Category of Fluctuation, Immunity of symptoms, retrogress is (prospect)

Theme of above mentioned categories is (prediction)

Discussion
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Major depressive disorder is a serious mental illness that can cause significant

impairment in a person’s life. Code: mental illness

The symptoms of major depressive disorder can be very disruptive, and they can lead to

problems in relationships, work, and school. Code: problems in private life

However, with proper treatment, some patients can achieve remission of their symptoms

and lead normal lives Code: cure of major depressive disorder.

Category of mental illness, problems in private life, cure of major depressive disorder is

(impairment)

Theme of above mentioned categories is (discourse)

References