Ella is a 15year old highschool freshman She lives in a smal

Ella is a 15-year old high-school freshman. She lives in a small suburban town with her younger brother, Brody, and her parents, Minka and Bruce. In the past, Ella was always a straight-A student. She loved school and had many close friends. She was actively involved in cheerleading and drama club. Ella\'s parents report that over the last 6 months, Ella\'s grades have dropped significantly. She decided that cheerleading is \"not cool\" and she does not want to be in the drama club any more. She lost about 15 pounds and is often arguing with her brother and her family. She does not like to socialize with her friends anymore and is always on the computer but will not share what she is doing. Ella\'s parents recently reconciled after a 4-month separation. Bruce was just discharged from a substance-use inpatient center where he was receiving treatment for alcohol dependence. Her mother carries a diagnosis for anorexia nervosa but has not displayed any symptoms for 5 years. Both of her parents have been actively engaged in family counseling and individual therapy as well.

Based on this scenario, answer the following:

What additional information would be helpful for you to effectively form a diagnosis?

What theory of adolescent development would you use to gain an understanding of what is happening with Ella? Remember, it is often necessary to consider and even apply more than one theory when working with an adolescent.

How would you compare and contrast the development of Ella\'s issues from a cognitive, social, and psychodynamic perspective?

Which theory best supports the behaviors that we are currently seeing with Ella?

Solution

1). From the given data, we can assess that the Ella\'s parents are separated and Ella is suffering from depression and anxiety. During adolescence, the teens must be supervised by the parents or caretakers, while allowing them to express themselves. The separation of Ella\'s parents might have an impact on her current status. However, the Ella\'s relation with her parents, her opinion in quitting the social interaction is necessary to diagnose the condition of Ella.