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Beth's Case Study The Case Case Study

(Am J. Public Health. 2004; 94:89-95) Adolescent well-being is largely the product of interactions among the multiple contexts in which, adolescents are embedded. Central contexts for adolescents include family, school, friendships, romantic relationships, peer groups, and larger social networks. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health provides unique data on adolescents' relationships with their friends, in that it is the only national level data set to provide unique data set to provide information on network structure." (Bearman, Moody, 2004) According to Duncan (2001), "We use nationally representative data to calculate correlations in achievement and delinquency between genetically differentiated siblings within a family, between peers as defined by adolescents, bestfriend nominations, between schoolmates living in the same neighbourhood, and between grademates within a school. The data suggests that family-based factors are several times more powerful than neighbourhood and school contexts in affecting adolescents' achievement and behaviour." (Duncan, 2001)

According to Demir (2003), "Loneliness is generally associated with negative feelings about problems in social relationships. Although loneliness has been described in numerous ways, the most common definition is an unpleasant experience that occurs when a person's network of social relationships is significantly deficient in either quality or quantity (Peplau & Perlman, 1984). It is the psychological state that results from discrepancies between one's desire for and one's actual composition of relationship. Although loneliness is an emotionally distressing experience, it can be a valuable signal that the personal relationships of an individual are inadequate in some important way (Ponzetti, 1990). It has been stated that although adolescents have more opportunities to establish new relationships, they have more unrealistic expectations about social opportunities (Peplau & Perlman, 1984). As they grow up, they establish more realistic expectations. Some adolescents are capable of establishing new relations very easily, whereas others may experience difficulty that results in feelings of loneliness. This loneliness may express itself in a lowering of self-esteem, overeating, dropping out of high school, drinking, or becoming depressed or suicidal (Brage & Meridith, 1994; Jackson & Cochran, 1991; Medora & Woodward, 1986; Page & Cole, 1991)....

Additionally, should ask the following: Are you aware of your daughter's felling of isolation from her peers and cases of bullying? Are you willing to do what is necessary for your daughter to facilitate a better life and emotional state, including relocating her from the current school? Will you enrol your daughter into extracurricular and community activities such as sports or summer camp?
The counsellor may ask the school about whether proper authorities, such as head administrators, have investigated Beth's current environmental issues. Additionally, the counsellor may ask the school whether they feel Beth is being mistreated by her classmates and whether they understand and acknowledge that there is a situation at the school, which is not beneficial to Beth's overall psychological and social development.

Conclusion

The key findings of the case are that Beth's psychological inferiority complex is a function of exogenous environmental variables and not reflective of any internal personality or social-development inabilities. Additionally, the theories point that should her situation not be corrected, the likelihood for her to commit suicide will rise each year without treatment.

References

Armstrong, M.I. & Boothroyd, R.A. 2008, "Predictors of Emotional Well-Being in at-Risk Adolescent Girls: Developing Preventive Intervention Strategies," the Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 435.

Bearman, P.S. & Moody, J. 2004, "Suicide and Friendships Among American Adolescents," American Journal of Public Health, vol. 94, no. 1, pp. 89.

Duncan, G.J., Boisjoly, J. & Harris, K.M. 2001, "Sibling, peer, neighbor, and schoolmate correlations as indicators of the importance of context for adolescent development," Demography, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 437.

Uruk, a.C. & Demir, a. 2003, "The role of peers and families in predicting the loneliness level of adolescents," the Journal of psychology, vol. 137, no. 2, pp. 179.

Zambon, a., Lemma, P., Borraccino, a., Dalmasso, P. & Cavallo, F. 2006, "Socio-economic position and adolescents' health in Italy: the role of the quality of social relations," European journal of public health, vol. 16, no. 6,…

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References

Armstrong, M.I. & Boothroyd, R.A. 2008, "Predictors of Emotional Well-Being in at-Risk Adolescent Girls: Developing Preventive Intervention Strategies," the Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 435.

Bearman, P.S. & Moody, J. 2004, "Suicide and Friendships Among American Adolescents," American Journal of Public Health, vol. 94, no. 1, pp. 89.

Duncan, G.J., Boisjoly, J. & Harris, K.M. 2001, "Sibling, peer, neighbor, and schoolmate correlations as indicators of the importance of context for adolescent development," Demography, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 437.

Uruk, a.C. & Demir, a. 2003, "The role of peers and families in predicting the loneliness level of adolescents," the Journal of psychology, vol. 137, no. 2, pp. 179.
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