Assignment task: Client Information
Kendra is a 24 year old Caucasian female actress who attended Julliard School for the Arts. For the past year, she has felt fatigued and slightly "down." In the last month, she has had difficulty concentrating and lacks motivation to do much other than exercise. Kendra complains of "not having control of some things in her life" like the outcome of auditions. She considers herself a little "chubby" right now so she is on a 300 calorie diet that consists mainly of 10 carrots, a small container of Jell-O pudding and an apple each day. Her medical history reveals low blood pressure, potassium deficiency and a slightly slow heart rate, but she claims to be overall healthy as she exercises at least 3 times per day. She states she has not had a menstrual period in 8 months. She is starting to lose her hair. Her skin is slightly covered by fine hair as seen on newborns. She is always cold. Kendra's contact with family members is minimal. She claims that her mother put a lot of pressure on her while she was growing up to obtain acting roles and was more of a "manager" than a mother; however, Kendra has been on her own now for 5 years. She reports no negative feelings towards family members at this time. She feels she was recently overlooked for an acting role because her arms are too fat and wishes she could have more control over her acting career. Kendra is 89 pounds.
Clinical Notes
1. Does this client suffer from mental illness? If so, what diagnosis does this client might have?
2. If you cannot conclude a diagnosis, which category of disorder might it be based on the info you do have?
3. What symptoms led you to this diagnosis?
4. Is the client experiencing distress or impairment in his/her life? Explain.