Major Depression Case Study: Grief, Diagnosis & Treatment
This paper presents a fictitious clinical case study of a 33-year-old professional woman who exhibits symptoms of major depression following the prolonged illness and death of her father. Drawing on the client's presenting behavior, history, and precipitating factors, the paper offers a clinical impression, an Axis I and Axis II diagnosis, and a structured treatment plan. Supporting literature on grief manifestations, mourning, and depression from Hunt (2008), Leader (2009), and Luciani (2006) is integrated throughout. The prognosis is considered favorable given the client's motivation and family support system.
- Client Presentation: Initial intake description of client's behavior and background
- History and Physical: Medical, family, and social health history
- Observations and Precipitating Factors: Interviewer observations and likely depression triggers
- Clinical Impression and Diagnosis: Formal Axis I and Axis II diagnostic conclusions
- Supporting Literature on Grief and Depression: Hunt, Leader, and Luciani on grief and major depression
- Treatment Plan and Prognosis: Inpatient plan, counseling goals, and recovery outlook
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What makes this paper effective
- The case study follows a clear, clinically structured format — presentation, history, observations, impression, diagnosis, and treatment — mirroring real intake documentation.
- The client's depression is grounded in specific, observable behaviors (refusing to leave bed, attending the interview in sleepwear, free-flowing tears) that map directly to the diagnostic criteria cited from the literature.
- The paper integrates three distinct sources on grief and depression to support the clinical impression, showing how theory connects to a real-world presenting case.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates the clinical technique of linking observational data to theoretical frameworks. By explicitly matching the client's behaviors against Luciani's checklist of depression symptoms and Hunt's taxonomy of grief manifestations, the writer shows how clinicians use literature to validate and support diagnostic conclusions rather than relying on observation alone.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a detailed client presentation followed by a medical and social history. A section on observations and precipitating factors bridges the intake data to the clinical impression. The diagnosis section applies DSM Axis I and Axis II categories. A dedicated literature section grounds the diagnosis in published research on grief and depression. The paper closes with a practical treatment plan and an optimistic prognosis supported by the client's personal strengths and family resources.
Client Presentation
The client presents as a well-nourished, well-kempt Caucasian female. She reports that she turned 33 years old two months ago. She is single, employed, and has no children. She exercised daily until approximately five days ago, eats nutritiously, is not a vegetarian, and drinks alcohol — beer or wine — approximately 4–5 times per month, usually wine, consuming as many as two to three glasses when socializing with clients and friends.
The client states that about five days ago she woke up and did not want to get out of bed, so she did not. She called in sick and has not returned to work since. She does not take phone calls from clients or friends. Out of concern, her mother came to her home and brought her to this appointment. The client states, "But I wanted to come. I want help. I know something is not right with me."
During the interview, the client cried uncontrollably. Even as she spoke and answered questions, tears flowed freely. The client looks healthy and physically fit. The only outward signs of distress, aside from the free-flowing tears, are that she arrived at 1 p.m. dressed in clean bedtime lingerie, and throughout the interview she remained lying down on the couch. Though she talked freely and openly about why she was seeking help, she seldom made eye contact with the interviewer.
The client considers herself fortunate, as she is successful in her career as a celebrity agent and earns a six-figure income annually. She states that her studies at Princeton University prepared her for her career; she graduated with an undergraduate degree in accounting and subsequently earned a Master's Degree in Marketing from UCLA. She reports that up until five days ago she led a normal and active career and lifestyle, working a minimum of 60 hours per week. She states that she enjoys her work and finds it only moderately stressful at times, while also maintaining personal interests and socializing with friends outside the celebrity world.
The client reports that she has spent a significant portion of her free time with her parents during her father's prolonged illness. Her father passed away three months ago, and she has been very supportive of her mother since his passing. She reports that she is not currently in a relationship, stating she does not have the time that a successful relationship requires at the present time, and believes she will have more time to devote to one "later."
Works Cited
Hunt, Jane (2008). How to Handle Your Emotions: Anger, Depression, Fear, Grief, Rejection, Self-Worth. New York: Harvest House Publications.
Leader, Darian (2009). The New Black: Mourning, Melancholia, and Depression. New York: Graywolf Press.
Luciani, Joseph J. (2006). Self-Coaching: The Powerful Program to Beat Anxiety and Depression. New York: Wiley.
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