Psychological Report For Janet's Current Presenting Problems

1. If you were writing a psychological report for Janet, what specific factors from her case history seem most relevant to her current presenting problems?
If I was writing a psychological report for Janet, I would focus on specific factors from her case history that seem most relevant to her current presenting problems. Janet’s divorce seems to be one of the major factors that has caused most of her problems either directly or indirectly. Due to the divorce, she developed a sense of depression and a more pessimistic attitude towards everything. She felt lonely and continuously brood about the events that led to her separation from her ex-husband David. Overtime Janet began blaming herself for the divorce and questioning her value as
She became very overwhelmed and anxious with having to take care of the children, household responsibilities, and completing her college coursework. Due to not having enough time and the inability to concentrate, she withdrew from the university to avoid receiving a failing grade. This caused additional stress since she was no longer eligible for student aid and had to begin paying back her loans. With the lack of time, the children seemed more of a burden than ever, which made her question her value as a parent. She loss interest in most of her previous activities and had no hobbies due to having no time.
A third factor was Janet’s lack of social support, which caused her to feel alone and question her value as a friend. She once socialized with two couples whom her and David were friends with. After the divorce, she felt awkward getting together as a threesome and she never felt comfortable enough to pursue a friendship with the other wives. Her other support was her neighbor Susan. At first, Susan was her sole adviser and confidante, but overtime Susan became markedly aloof. She lost interest in her friends which caused her to have no social support to turn
For the clinician rated scale, a medical professional will see if Janet fits the criteria by measuring her symptoms, thoughts, feelings, and negative behavior on a scale. I would also use the DSM-5 to review the criteria and compare it to her symptoms. In order to diagnose a person, they must demonstrate five or more unipolar depressive symptoms consistently over two weeks or more. These symptoms must represent a change from previous functioning. Some of the symptoms included in the DSM-5 are significant weight change over a month time, a pessimistic attitude is developed, and a decline in mood. For Janet, she has significantly gained weight over a month and has a developed a negative mindset. Her mood has decreased and she becomes agitated more easily. Lately, she feels she has no control over anything. According to the DSM-5, at least one of the symptoms must be either a depressive mood or loss of interest and pleasure. She also must not have a history of mania. Based on these criteria, I would say the most appropriate diagnosis for Janet would be a major depressive