Schenck College, Chamberlain: Analysis of Henok's Midlife Crisis

This case study, authored by Tamara Taylor Schenck from Chamberlain College of Nursing, presents a symptomatic analysis of Henok's mental condition, focusing on a potential midlife crisis. The analysis begins with reassuring Henok about his physical health while emphasizing his psychological well-being. The assessment identifies symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia, suggesting a possible midlife crisis characterized by a loss of self-identity and confidence. The author recommends counseling, encouraging companionship with his wife and family, and addressing emotional needs. The case study also discusses referral options, suggesting consultation with a psychologist for further evaluation and treatment, including CBT or medication. The conclusion highlights the prevalence of midlife crises, emphasizing the need for a positive outlook and understanding of aging. The author references research by Duckerman, Lachman, and Santrock to support the analysis, providing a comprehensive understanding of the case and its implications.

Name : Tamara Taylor Schenck
College: Chamberlain College of Nursing

The symptomatic analysis of the mental condition of Henok
I will first tell him that, after studying all the diagnostic tests related to his physical health, I
reached on this conclusion that he is healthy and have no reason to worry. However, he should
take care of his psychological health. I will tell him that over anxiousness, depression and stress
are few factors that can sometimes cause chest pain.
His recent activities suggest that he is suffering from depression because he feels that he is a
loser, he is not able to sleep because over anxiousness and stress can cause insomnia. I will tell
him that he might be suffering from a middle-age crisis. Under this condition, a person often
suffers from an internal clash where he thinks that he is losing his self-identity and this reflects
badly on his confidence levels.
Remedial counseling
I will tell him that he should seek companionship from his wife and try to spend more time with
his family. A midlife crisis often attacks the self-esteem of a person. He should remember the
time when he was a teenager and he was conscious about his body and image. He was seeking
social acceptance because his body was showing the signs of adulthood; however, his young
brain was not ready to accept the tag of an adult. It is the same with the midlife crisis, where the
brain refuses to accept the process of aging.
I will also tell him that he needs emotional support from the side of his wife because during the
case of a mid-life crisis emotional needs of a person increase multiple folds. When he refused a

woman colleague for drinks, it was a wrong reaction; he should seek for some friends for the
sake of companionship. A midlife crisis can also give rise to feelings like diaspora and others
and it can be a probable reason that he is missing his father and his native place.
He needs to learn the art of graceful aging and adopt a compromising stance with the problem of
aging. Henok is passing through a phase of life where his judgment on certain issues may
deceive him; this is why he should think about the issues more pragmatically. To get rid of his
stress, he should understand the difference between the issues that are under his locus of control
and the issues that are out of his control. He should not feel stressed about the issues that are out
of his locus of control.
Referral
Based on a diagnostic analysis aimed at the physical wellbeing of the subject it can be safely said
that at that particular point of time he doesn’t need the support of a physician or a doctor who
deals in physiology. Ideally, the subject should consult with a psychologist and discuss the
symptoms of insomnia, depression, and anxiety. He can check the intensity of the previous
attacks and administer the right kind of medication or other types of treatments like CBT or
counseling. It also seems that patient is suffering from a mid-age crisis. Problems like depression
and insomnia can be considered as a manifestation of the attack.
Conclusion
According to various studies, 20 percent of the American population faces the problem of the
mid-life crisis (Duckerman, 2018). The manifestation of this problem may vary from person to
person. It can give rise to many other conditions that can further complicate the issues. A
positive and rational outlook towards life and understanding of the limitations of the body with

the process of aging is very necessary for a person suffering from this problem. Subjects like
Henok should rediscover their social circles all over again and think about their emotional needs
all over again. The physical manifestation of a psychological disease often indicates the severity
of the problem, this is why Henok should not take it lightly (Santrock, 2019).
The research done by Margie Lachman and his team presented an account of evidence-based
practices in front of me. This research deals with the balancing of growth in life along with a
decline in the physical capacities (Lachman, 2015).
In the same year, Margie Lachman also furnished a systematic literature review of more than 300
pieces of literature to figure out the manifestation of the mid-age crisis. This research helped me
a lot in identifying the case of Henok. Lachman focused on the causative reasons behind the mid-
life crisis, in the case of Lachman it can be seen that he married a little late and now he is finding
it difficult to strike a chord with the current generation because mentally he is not prepared to
handle the changes that are taking around him and within his body (Lachman, Mind the Gap in
the Middle: A Call to Study Midlife, 2015).

References
Duckerman, P. (2018). How the Midlife Crisis Came to Be. The Atlantic,
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/05/the-invention-of-the-midlife-crisis/
561203/.
Lachman, M. (2015). I will also tell him that he needs emotional support from the side of his
wife because during the case of a mid-life crisis emotional needs of a person increase
multiple folds. When he refused a woman colleague for drinks, it was a wrong reaction;
he s. NCBI, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4286887/.
Lachman, M. (2015). Mind the Gap in the Middle: A Call to Study Midlife. PMC ,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4734389/.
Santrock.J.W (2019). Life Span Development, New York. McGrew Hill Education