Abnormal Psychology: Case Study Analysis of Mr. A's Condition

This case study delves into the realm of abnormal psychology, focusing on a 76-year-old man, Mr. A, who exhibited depressive symptoms following the loss of his wife. The assignment examines the patient's decreased appetite, suicidal ideation, sleep disturbances, agitation, communication difficulties, and social withdrawal. It explores the impact of these behaviors on his family and community, highlighting the deterioration of parent-child relationships and reduced social connectedness. The study references relevant research by Weinberger et al. (2016) and Donovan et al. (2017) to contextualize the patient's condition within the framework of depression and the impact of loss. The analysis underscores the importance of understanding the multifaceted nature of psychological distress and its profound effects on both individuals and their social environments.

Running head: ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
Journal entry:
Case scenario:
Mr A, a 76 years old man who had recently retired as an assistant professor of economics
from the university. He recently lost his wife due to sudden myocardial infarction. After the
sudden death of his wife, he exhibited a decreased appetite, suicidal behavior and thoughts, lack
of sleep, agitation, lack of communication and social exclusion. He stopped communicating with
his children and locked himself in the room most of the time in the room. The alteration of
behavior
Signs impacted his son, other family members and community.
Clinical manifestations:
As the case study highlighted, Mr A exhibited decreased appetite, suicidal behavior and
thoughts, lack of sleep, agitation, lack of communication and social exclusion. Weinberger et al.
(2016), suggested that patients often exhibit such symptoms when suffering from depression
where stress factors are financial instability, loss of loved one or any genetic disease. In this
context, the loss of a loved one can be the major reason behind sudden depression (Donovan et
al., 2017).
Impact on family members and society at large:
The depressive symptoms impacted personal relationships and community relationship.
Since he reduced interactions with his son and other family members, it affected the healthy
parent and child relationship. The lack of interactions with father induced a feeling of
unhappiness and decreased enjoyment of life. He felt helpless and agitated while approaching his
father. Considering the impact on the community, the lack of social engagement reduced social

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ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
connectedness with community members, especially with peers. It hindered the ability of the
community members to support him in gaining coping skills.

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ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
References:
Donovan, N. J., Wu, Q., Rentz, D. M., Sperling, R. A., Marshall, G. A., & Glymour, M. M.
(2017). Loneliness, depression and cognitive function in older US adults. International
Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 32(5), 564-573.
Weinberger, A. H., Gbedemah, M., Martinez, A. M., Nash, D., Galea, S., & Goodwin, R. D.
(2018). Trends in depression prevalence in the USA from 2005 to 2015: widening
disparities in vulnerable groups. Psychological medicine, 48(8), 1308-1315.