Problem:
Cathy Johnson is a 21-year-old junior at a small private university in Connecticut. Cathy was involved in a traumatic boating accident during the summer after her sophomore year, which eventually forced her to withdraw from school. Need Assignment Help?
During the summer of her sophomore year, Cathy and her father were on a sailing trip. Cathy's father was an experienced sailor and with Cathy's help, he had no problem piloting his catamaran from island to island. One day as they were sailing, the sky became dark and it began to thunder. Cathy begged her father to return to port, but he would hear nothing of it, claiming he could easily outrun the clouds. Unfortunately, Cathy's father had misjudged and the catamaran capsized. Cathy and her father clung to the overturned vessel. As a member of her university's cross-country team, Cathy was in excellent shape and was able to keep her head above the waves. Her father was not so lucky. One moment, he was grasping for the rudder; the next, Cathy could see his head disappear beneath a wave, and he was gone. After the storm cleared, Cathy was rescued by a passing commercial boat. Her father's body was never recovered.
When Cathy returned to Connecticut, a memorial service was held for her father. Cathy was understandably distressed. However, as weeks passed and the fall semester approached, there seemed to be little improvement in Cathy's condition. When students finally returned to campus, Cathy's roommate, Jen, was shocked by changes in her friend's appearance. Cathy was listless and unkempt. She looked like she had lost 15 pounds. Cathy claimed that she wasn't hungry. Although she often complained of being tired, Cathy had trouble sleeping all the way through the night and would often wake up. She frequently stayed in her pajamas all day and shuffled around their dorm room in little baby steps.
During the first month of the semester, it was clear that Cathy was isolating herself from most of her friends. Also, Cathy quit the cross-country team, claiming she wasn't interested in running anymore. Cathy's midterm grades were poor. Cathy states that she was having trouble concentrating in class and that her mind was on other things. She failed her first exam ever as a student and lamented that she was likely to fail many more exams in the future.
Cathy was often irritable in her interactions with her friends, including Jen. However, Cathy was fortunate to have a loyal, compassionate roommate. One night, Cathy confided in Jen that her father's death was her fault, and she could never forgive herself for his death. Jen asked if Cathy would be willing to see a therapist if Jen could find one for her. Cathy agreed. Jen was able to make an appointment for Cathy with a therapist who had a private practice close to the university where they attended. During the initial appointment, Cathy related the events that had led up to the appointment. Cathy stated that she might be better off dead because that would enable her to rejoin her father. Cathy asked if there were medications that might help her problems. The therapist indicated that she could be referred to a psychiatrist for a medication evaluation if that seemed appropriate. Following the appointment, the therapist contacted Jen and told her what Cathy had said about wanting to die and that Jen should reach out to the therapist immediately if Cathy reported any suicidal thoughts, plans or intents.
In early November, it was apparent that Cathy's condition was continuing to gradually decline. It was at this point that Cathy decided to withdraw from school for the remainder of the academic year. Cathy's mother invited Cathy to live with her, but Cathy declined.