Jeni is a 21-year -old college student. Although she is doing exceptionally well in school, for the past year she has worried constantly that she will fail and be thrown out. When her fellow students and professors try to reassure her, Jeni worries that they are just pretending to be nice to her because she is such a weak student. Jeni also worries about her mother being ill and about whether she is really liked by her friends. Although Jeni is able to acknowledge that her fears are excessive (she has supportive friends, her mother is in good health, and, based on her grades, Jeni is one of the top students in her school), she still struggles to control her worrying. Jeni has difficulty sleeping, often feels nervous and on edge, and experiences a great deal of muscle tension. When her friends suggested she take a yoga class to try and relax, Jeni even began to worry about that, fearing that she would be the worst students in the class. “I know it makes no sense”, she says, “But that’s how I am. I’ve always been a worrier. I even worry about worrying so much!”

Q1. If you were Jeni’s doctor, what diagnosis would you give her? Please elucidate your reasons.

Q2. What are the central features of this disease?

Q3. What are the possible biological and psychosocial causes of this disease ?

Q4. Describe the major treatment approaches that you would use to treat Jen

Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

Addressing and Confronting Bias and Prejudice

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, please read Chapters 8, 12, and 13 in DSM 5 Made Easy: The Clinician’s Guide to Diagnosis; Chapter 2 in Turning Points in Dynamic Psychotherapy: Initial Assessment, Boundaries, Money, Disruptions and Suicidal Crises; Chapter 5 in The Psychiatric Interview: Evaluation and Diagnosis; all required articles; and review the PSY645 Fictional Sociocultural Case Studies document.One of the most important aspects of developing competence in psychopathology is to be as honestly and completely aware as possible of your personal attitudes toward people who have mental health conditions. Through this awareness, we are better able to challenge our own biases and prejudicial views in order to be more open to the findings within scholarly research.For your initial post in this discussion, choose one of the three case studies from the PSY645 Fictional Sociocultural Case Studies document, and write a detailed description of your uncensored personal observation of the patient depicted. Describe at least one theoretical orientation you would use to conceptualize your view of the patient’s problem and how it may have developed. Identify the issues you might focus on in treatment with this patient. Be sure to identify within your post which of the three case studies you have chosen.

Guided Response: Review several of your colleagues’ posts, and respond to at least two of your peers by 11:59 p.m. on Day 7 of the week. You are encouraged to post your required replies earlier in the week to promote more meaningful interactive discourse in this discussion. Examine your colleague’s initial post, and formulate a possible response. Research a minimum of two peer-reviewed articles that support the views presented in your response. Compose a response that uses a sociocultural perspective to assess the validity of your colleague’s observation and his or her proposed direction of treatment.

Outline any biases or prejudicial views you observe in your colleague’s post which may affect their conceptualization of the patient’s problems. Remember that your colleague is being open and honest regarding his or her personal views; therefore, your task is to provide persuasive information to encourage your colleague to adopt a view that is supported by peer-reviewed literature. Pay close attention to the tone of your response to ensure your colleague will not become defensive when reading it. Be sure to use at least two peer-reviewed sources to support your statements.

First, introduce yourself in 50 words or less by answering the following question: Social problems are a key focus for political candidates in election years.  Imagine you are a presidential candidate in the next election. What is the first major social problem would you want to address for the American people and why does this social problem resonate with you personally or professionally?

PART TWO

Go to the “Humans of New York” website, Instagram page, or Facebook page and browse several narratives of people featured. Explore at least one social problem individuals have discussed as part of their narratives and discuss the following question:Apply at least one of the major Sociological Theories outlined in this week’s lesson (Structural functionalism, Social Conflict, or Symbolic Interaction) to help understand the social problem discussed in the Humans of New York narrative you chose (Part 2 will comprise the remaining 200 or more words for your initial post).