Background Information
Agency Setting Beaumont Hospitals’ Parenting Program offers a variety of support groups for new parents, single parents, and postpartum adjustment. As an intern, one of my roles is a group leader for a postpartum adjustment support group. The support group is a drop in group, which means the attendees do not need to sign up or call ahead; they can come as they deem necessary. Therefore, group membership and subsequent dynamics are frequently changing. This can pose a challenge to retrieving background information.
Referral Information One mother, Sarah Smith, has been struggling to adjust to life with a new baby. Mrs. Smith is a married, 32 year-old Asian American woman whose apparel, speech, and city of residence …show more content…
Mrs. Smith said her family knows that she is going through a hard time right now, and they are trying to be there for her. She reported that they think it will pass, and they will continue to help until it does. She says her husband is worried about her and takes over the childcare responsibilities when he gets home from work, so she can have time to rest. However, she reports being unable to rest despite intense fatigue and feels uneasy and anxious when Jenna is out of her sight.
Social Worker’s View My initial view of Mrs. Smith’s presenting problems is that they are relatively common and consistent with peripartum mood disorders. I agreed with the volunteer who referred her that a support group would likely be beneficial for Mrs. Smith. After several group sessions, I believe she is suffering from a major depressive disorder with anxious distress and peripartum onset. While Zoloft was helping Mrs. Smith, her feelings of inadequacy as a mother are so intense that they largely contribute to her postpartum depression and inhibit recovery.
Historical and Developmental …show more content…
Smith began to feel mild anxiety and depression toward the end of her pregnancy, while this is not uncommon it often dissipates after birth. However, the birth did not go as planned and complications led to a cesarean section. Mrs. Smith was tearful when recounting Jenna’s birth. She said that she knew it was necessary, but she should have been able to “do it right”. The difficult birth experience may have confirmed the anxiety she felt antepartum regarding her ability to give birth to and subsequently care for her new baby. Mrs. Smith reports that her mother was a very good mother, and it is likely that she is modeling her success or failure as a parent by being able to emulate the same skills. However, parenting skills develop with time and as the youngest child she may have benefited from years of childcare knowledge and experience that developed before she was born. Therefore, she has set her expectations unrealistically high and ultimately confirming her feelings of inadequacy. To further complicate the matter, neither of her sister in laws experienced PPD symptoms which may also provide evidence to Mrs. Smith that her PPD is a sign of a personal defect rather than
Agency Setting Beaumont Hospitals’ Parenting Program offers a variety of support groups for new parents, single parents, and postpartum adjustment. As an intern, one of my roles is a group leader for a postpartum adjustment support group. The support group is a drop in group, which means the attendees do not need to sign up or call ahead; they can come as they deem necessary. Therefore, group membership and subsequent dynamics are frequently changing. This can pose a challenge to retrieving background information.
Referral Information One mother, Sarah Smith, has been struggling to adjust to life with a new baby. Mrs. Smith is a married, 32 year-old Asian American woman whose apparel, speech, and city of residence …show more content…
Mrs. Smith said her family knows that she is going through a hard time right now, and they are trying to be there for her. She reported that they think it will pass, and they will continue to help until it does. She says her husband is worried about her and takes over the childcare responsibilities when he gets home from work, so she can have time to rest. However, she reports being unable to rest despite intense fatigue and feels uneasy and anxious when Jenna is out of her sight.
Social Worker’s View My initial view of Mrs. Smith’s presenting problems is that they are relatively common and consistent with peripartum mood disorders. I agreed with the volunteer who referred her that a support group would likely be beneficial for Mrs. Smith. After several group sessions, I believe she is suffering from a major depressive disorder with anxious distress and peripartum onset. While Zoloft was helping Mrs. Smith, her feelings of inadequacy as a mother are so intense that they largely contribute to her postpartum depression and inhibit recovery.
Historical and Developmental …show more content…
Smith began to feel mild anxiety and depression toward the end of her pregnancy, while this is not uncommon it often dissipates after birth. However, the birth did not go as planned and complications led to a cesarean section. Mrs. Smith was tearful when recounting Jenna’s birth. She said that she knew it was necessary, but she should have been able to “do it right”. The difficult birth experience may have confirmed the anxiety she felt antepartum regarding her ability to give birth to and subsequently care for her new baby. Mrs. Smith reports that her mother was a very good mother, and it is likely that she is modeling her success or failure as a parent by being able to emulate the same skills. However, parenting skills develop with time and as the youngest child she may have benefited from years of childcare knowledge and experience that developed before she was born. Therefore, she has set her expectations unrealistically high and ultimately confirming her feelings of inadequacy. To further complicate the matter, neither of her sister in laws experienced PPD symptoms which may also provide evidence to Mrs. Smith that her PPD is a sign of a personal defect rather than