Jennifer's Depression Case Summary

I. Introduction
a. Jennifer is a young woman in her mid-twenties who had a rough childhood as her father died when she was very young. Her mother married another man when Jennifer was five. Though she did not think much of him when she was young, she saw as she grew older that he was not providing the type of support her mother needed. Her mother began to drink on a daily basis, and cry a lot. Jennifer’s stepfather was also very aggressive and at times abused her and her brother. As her family began to fall apart, she found a since of hope through her boyfriend, Jeremy. In this relationship she found a sense of belonging and support. Yet as time went on he became very abusive. After finding the courage to end it with him and let all of the family drama past her, she decided to go to a graphic design school in which she was determined to succeed. She met another man along the way who was charming at first, yet didn’t find much time to spend with her as their relationship went on. After losing her job and going over all that has failed in her life, she began to wonder if she should end her life. After seeking her mother’s help, she is now determined to …show more content…
From the biological model, one of the potential causes contributing to Jennifer’s depression could be genetics. Her mother also experienced a form of depression as she would spend much time crying and binge drinking. She could also have low activity of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin which have been linked to depression. The final reason could be that the activity in certain parts of the prefrontal cortex of her brain are low. The biological model would treat depression in a couple different ways. One is by electroconvulsive therapy which involves electric shock to the head which passes to the brain. After a few sessions, Jennifer would feel less depressed. Another way this model would treat her depression is by antidepressant drugs which would hopefully increase her