Prior To Completing This Discussion, Please Be Certain That

Prior To Completing This Discussion Please Be Certain That You Have C

Prior to completing this discussion, please be certain that you have completed the required readings in Chapters 1 through 3 of your required text, read the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct on the APA website, and reviewed any relevant Instructor Guidance. This discussion has two options from which you will choose one to complete. After selecting one of the options please indicate which one you chose in your response.

Option A: Karen confides in you that she feels “down”—all the time. She feels hopeless, finds no enjoyment in life (sleep, food, sex, friends, etc.), and is having thoughts of suicide. Based on your study this week, address each of the following: Identify if Karen is suffering from major depression or bipolar depression. Defend your position with support from the reading noting definitions and key features. Indicate what form of treatment would best serve Karen based on the literature. Examine how you would respond personally as a mental health professional and what your ethical duties are.

Option B: Chris can often be found around the house laughing loudly at inappropriate jokes he is telling. When he is not laughing, he is singing or whistling and making non-stop noise as he feels like he has boundless energy. When his daughter gets home, he calls her names and accuses her of doing things she was not. The next day, Chris reports that he feels “down” all the time. He feels hopeless and is having thoughts of suicide. Based on your study this week, address each of the following: Identify if Chris is suffering from major depression or bipolar depression. Defend your position with support from the reading noting definitions and key features. Indicate what form of treatment you think would best serve Chris from the literature. Examine how you would respond personally as a mental health professional and what your ethical duties are. Your initial post must be a minimum of 200 words and you must utilize at least one scholarly source (e.g., the course textbook, a peer-reviewed article from the Ashford University Library, or a professional web source) that is cited according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. For further assistance in researching scholarly sources, please access the tutorials page on the Ashford University Library website.

Paper For Above instruction

The complex nature of mood disorders, particularly major depression and bipolar disorder, requires a nuanced understanding to ensure accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. In the case of Karen, who reports feeling “down” constantly, with hopelessness, anhedonia (loss of interest or pleasure), and suicidal thoughts, the primary considerations revolve around her mental health diagnosis. Based on DSM-5 criteria and current psychiatric literature, her symptoms align most closely with major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as unipolar depression. This condition is characterized by persistent sad or empty mood, loss of interest in activities, significant weight change, sleep disturbances, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, difficulty concentrating, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Notably, bipolar disorder includes episodes of both depression and mania or hypomania, which Karen’s description does not mention; she appears to be experiencing a single affective pole, consistent with MDD.

The literature emphasizes that effective treatment for major depression typically combines pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. Antidepressant medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have been widely supported by research for symptom reduction (Cuijpers et al., 2013). Psychologically, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is considered efficacious, helping individuals address negative thought patterns and develop coping strategies (Hofmann, Asnaani, Vonk, Sawyer, & Fang, 2012). For Karen, an individualized treatment plan that integrates medication management with CBT would likely be most beneficial, owing to the severity of her symptoms and risk factors like suicidal ideation.

As a mental health professional, my personal response to Karen would involve establishing a supportive, nonjudgmental therapeutic alliance, ensuring her immediate safety, and conducting a comprehensive assessment to rule out other comorbidities or contributing factors. Ethically, I am committed to confidentiality, informed consent, and ensuring her autonomy in treatment decisions (APA, 2010). Given her suicidal thoughts, ensuring her safety through risk assessment and potentially involving crisis intervention or hospitalization would be necessary. Throughout the process, I would adhere to the APA’s Ethical Principles, including beneficence, nonmaleficence, and fidelity, to provide competent, ethical care tailored to her needs.

References

• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
• Cuijpers, P., Smit, F., Bohlmeijer, E., Holting, C., & Westerhof, G. (2013). The effects of psychotherapy for depression in older adults: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 28(7), 666-677.
• Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427-440.
• American Psychological Association. (2010). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/