European Union and Depression

¶ … Catholic Dilemma

The Case Study of Paula: A Catholic Dilemma

Paula is from Madrid, Spain. She is 29 years old and married to Carlos for the last 7 years. She works for Air Europa as a flight attendant. She still lives in Madrid, Spain with Carlos. Patricia and Maria aged 6 and 3 years respectively, are the couple's two daughters.

In terms of educational background, Paul and Carlos attended Catholic school in their home city of Madrid. Living with Carlos and her two daughters she is experiencing an emotional problem concerning the man she is currently dating and has been dating for one year, Pedro. She wants to leave Carlos for Pedro. Especially because Carlos' mother is increasing stress and tension between Carlos and Paula.

2.

Paula is European. She is from the Basque region. Therefore, she is Caucasian, from Southern Europe. She appears heterosexual with her marriage and dating preferences being of the opposite gender (male). She is working class to middle class, having a job as flight attendant. Flight attendants do not earn high salaries and Pedro's job was not discussed. Raised as a Catholic, they believe in Christ and believe in marriage. Catholics do not like the idea of divorce, preferring to stay married (Gerner, 2008). She is Caucasian and European, living in Europe. Therefore, her culture reflects that. For example, Spain is part of the European Union (EU). The EU has a system where anyone from the EU can travel to and from the countries without need for a visa (Boratynaski & Brzezinaski, 2006).

3.

The presenting problem is Paula cheating on Carlos with Pedro. She is a married woman with two young girls. She also has to contend with the relationship Carlos has with his mother. She is Catholic. These all play a role in how she deals with the situation of infidelity. Should she divorce Carlos to be with Pedro, she may be ostracized from the culture she grew up with and lose her support system.

a.

The main issue Paula has is with the idea of generating instability for her two young daughters and abandoning her roots and beliefs as a Catholic. Pedro is trying to get Paula to leave Carlos, but fails to understand what she may relinquish in the process. This potential loss of self, of heritage may create more problems for Paula then staying with her husband Carlos. Hence why she feels conflicted.

b.

Being from Spain, Catholicism is a large part of many Spaniards lives. The issue of divorce is something frowned upon for many Catholics. For Paula to even consider a divorce after having an affair is major issue. Most people would frown upon her having an affair. Adding to that a divorce, it may spell problems for her on a moral basis and from a Spanish culture perspective.

c.

Paula's main coping strategy is to have an affair with Pedro. Carlos and his mother create stress for Paula. Whenever she feels stress, she runs to Pedro and engages in romantic activities with him as a form of stress relief. She does care about her daughters and enjoys being a mother and a Spanish woman. This can be seen as a strength because she is aware of how this situation could negatively impact her two daughters.

d.

Because Paula lives in Spain and is a Spaniard, she has no experience with racism. She works with people from Spain. Pedro is a coworker. She is also not discriminated against. As a woman working as a flight attendant, she is not in a job where she is being treated less than due to stepping over the boundaries of gender stereotypes. Therefore, she has not experienced any discrimination or racism.

4a.

The initial assessment of Paula is she is depressed and anxious. The stress of dealing with a husband, his mother, and the affair are causing anxiety and depression in Paula. She is having a potential identity crisis because if she chooses Pedro, she may lose who she is as a Spaniard woman and a Catholic. If she chooses her family, she may risk continuing to be depressed and that could result in further problems with depression and anxiety.

Her strengths lie in her love for her family and culture. She is happy being who she is and this can help her stay strong during this ethical dilemma. Her love of her daughters is a major strength. She worries for their wellbeing and this could be a key catalyst for her ability to find a proper solution to her ordeal.

Key areas that need to be worked on for possible intervention are family, religion, and work. She may have to switch jobs to remove herself from the situation with Pedro so she can decide what choice to make. She must also try to find a support group for Catholics wanting to divorce so she can see and understand the commonality of the problem. She may also have to engage in family therapy to provide some stability for the oldest daughter to understand what may happen should Paula and Carlos divorce.

b.

She wants to maintain her Spanish heritage and religious beliefs. Therefore, the focus of intervention will be on preserving these beliefs while also giving her options for an outcome she is happy with in the long-term. This can be through exploration of Catholics who have divorced and how they felt about the change.

5a, 5b, and 5c.

The two main goals for counseling is to help Paula have a new coping strategy for the stress she experiences at home and providing Paula with a better understanding of her options as a Catholic married woman. (5a) The first objective under the first goal is addressing her potential depression and anxiety. She can do this by utilizing cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). CBT has been used for decades to help people with anxiety and depression (Chapman, 2013). It can be an excellent means of coping with mental health problems.