Demographic Data
The respondent is 24 years of age with a part-time job and a full-time graduate student of Indian background.
Date of Assessment
First Session December 1, Second Session December 5
Assessment Techniques
The techniques used included consultations and clinical interview.
Consultations
Consultations were made with family members, colleagues at the workplace, and classmates with the aim of obtaining a better purview of the problem. When consulting the family, focus was to establish whether the problem is hereditary or not, there was also a need to understand the client from the family members’ point of view. Consultations with colleagues were to determine the kind of pressure that exists in the workplace as a way of determining the causes of stress for the client. Efforts on consulting classmates were geared towards understanding the routine of the students, particularly the pressure in assignments.
Reason for Referral
The client referred herself to me seeking help on how to tackle her problem relating to the inability to eat healthy. She was so much stressed and disappointed because of her tight schedules as a student and a part-time worker.
Relevant Background
The interviewee is a female student and part-time worker of Indian origin trying to balance between the demands of work and studies. Of great concern was the inability to eat healthy based on the time constraints, making it very difficult to prepare food at home. The fact that she has very many assignments with short deadlines troubles her, increasing her stress and disappointment levels. She does not have a history of drug abuse, sickness, or depression and she was uncomfortable with the way she was adding weight at a very alarming rate. Eating unhealthy was only catalyzed by the high stress and disappointment levels because she ate junk food during breaks and this was contributed by high-stress levels. It was confirmed by family members that there was no history of unhealthy eating or weight gain, implying that her problem is mainly informed by the stressful life she was leading.
The interviewee does not have any medical history that is linked to the problem at hand. Currently, she is not undergoing any health concern or testing related to physical or mental health. No previous diagnoses have been linked to the condition. Worth noting is that the client is healthy.
Mental Status / Behavioral Observations
The client is unmarried. The interviewee was very cooperative and candid throughout the process of assessment in the sense that she freely offered information touching on her situation. The client appeared very collaborative and did not hesitate to offer any information pertinent to the case at hand. She was candid because she did not shy away from stating any fact that was necessary for the case. Most of the information relating to this case was very sensitive and private, yet she easily divulged the same with great ease. It was very easy to interview her because she volunteered to give very sensitive information regarding the matters being discussed. Issues like personal preferences, family history, health, and perception are very sensitive; it takes courage to discuss them without hesitation. The client’s appearance was official in the sense that she was dressed properly. The client’s hygiene was adequate. There were no unusual patterns in her moods and speech patterns as her behavior was consistent. The clients thought processing and content was normal. The client had a positive perception of the nature of presenting the problem.
An assessment of mental status, including mood, sleep, appetite, and focus/concentration indicated that everything was fine as the client did not have any problem of that nature. This confirms that the client is not depressed or mentally ill. The clients stress levels were high as indicated in the assessment of the level of daily functioning. Although she regularly attends work and school, she exhibited high-stress levels during breaks, which led her to eat more junk foods. The assessment of risk of harm to self and others did not give any indication towards the client’s mental health. This implies that the client did not have any problems regarding the ability to harm herself or others. There was also a problem regarding meal preparation and other household tasks like cleaning and dressing that indicated too much pressure and stress levels.
Summary
The client was an Indian female student who had a part-time job. She referred herself regarding the problem of unhealthy eating habits that had increased her weight and distorted her shape. Although she was not very perturbed with her shape, she was concerned with the fact that her continued inability to eat healthy was going to distort her weight. She was worried that balancing between her work and education was difficult and it was causing a lot of stress. Her level of disappointment was very high. To indicate that her problem was associated with her busy schedule, she used to become relieved after submitting her class assignments. Moreover, she had high-stress levels during breaks when she consumed a lot of junk. It was found that the client does not have any physical or mental health problems in the sense that no history of disease or mental health issue was discovered. There was no hereditary issue from her family. The client did not have any signs of the ability to harm herself or others. She was cooperative and candid throughout the interview process, thus easing the process of discussing her problem.
Recommendations
In light of the prevailing condition and following the successful completion of the evaluation of the case, several recommendations have been made towards helping the client tackle the problem and overcome the same. The recommendations comprise the following areas;
- Proper planning to create a balance between work and school: the client should plan her time well to balance between her part-time job and her education. Through planning, every activity will be scheduled accordingly.
- Drop one of the tasks to become more at ease: the client can drop her part-time job for the moment to concentrate on her study in order to have some time to relax.
- Practice healthy eating on a daily basis: the client should practice healthy eating daily as a way of overcoming the problem of unhealthy eating habits. Habits are nurtured, and she can change by altering her attitude.
- Resist the urge to indulge in junk eating: the client should not be compelled into unhealthy eating habits; she should resist the urge and instead focus on healthy eating.
- To invest more in a hobby as a way of releasing tension: the client should learn to enjoy her life by developing a hobby and setting time for the same.
- To hire house assistance: the client can hire a house help to assist her in food preparation and other household chores.