Santana Abnormal Behavior

The characterisation of “normal” and “abnormal” behaviour is largely debated, but it is most widely recognised that a person is behaving abnormally or has a psychological disorder when their behaviour causes a biological, psychological or behavioural dysfunction that is not expected or deemed appropriate in their culture, and is associated with impairment or distress in their functioning (McNally, 2011). This essay will discuss the reasons why the fictitious patient, Santana’s behaviour constitutes abnormality. In addition, the patient will be diagnosed according to her symptoms using the DSM 5 criteria relevant to the chosen diagnosis, and a short discussion of the core symptoms and additional information required to confirm the diagnosis

The first to be posited is, major depressive disorder (MDD), which is a mood disorder, mainly characterized by gross deviations in a person’s mood, mood being a more persistent period of affect or emotionality (Barlow, 2002). A major depressive episode needs to be present, and the criteria according to the DSM 5 by the American Psychiatric Association (2013) is a period of at least two weeks of a persistent depressed mood including at least four or more of the other listed symptoms, of which Santana complies with the diminishment of interest in almost all activities for most of the day, she has a decrease in appetite, a loss of energy, hypersomnia and a diminished ability to concentrate nearly every day. Her symptoms caused significant distress and impairment in her social, emotional and educational functioning and are not due to any direct physiological effects of a substance or medical condition, as none is mentioned in the case study. She thus can be diagnosed of having a major depressive episode with anxious distress as she worries uncontrollably. The occurrence of her major depressive episode is not better explained by any psychotic fidisorders such as schizoaffective disorder. The only criteria hindering the process of diagnosing Santana with major depressive disorder is the absolute absence of a manic or hypomanic episode. The case

The occurrence of her hypomanic and major depressive episode(s) is not better explained by a disorder on the schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders, and the alteration between the two periods caused distress and impairment in her daily functioning. She conforms to all the criteria, according to the DSM 5, to thus be diagnosed with bipolar II disorder. Although Santana shows symptoms of several disorders, it is most prominent to her diagnosed disorder of bipolar II comorbid with GAD, thus will the probable prognosis be moderate to strong if accompanied with the best possible treatment, which in this case will be the antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or lithium which has to be monitored and taken indefinitely for bipolar (Goodwin & Jamison, 2007). These medications along with cognitive-behavioural therapy which entails the identification and correction of cognitive errors and schemas, as well as the promotion of positive events, will be most beneficial for Santana’s disorder (Barlow & Durand, 2015). It is mentioned that her family do not have a remarkable history of disorders but that her mother is depressing and self-absorbed and her grandfather committed