Introduction
The case study of Mrs. Klein and her daughter Jodie paints a nuanced picture of a family dealing with problems with self-esteem, body image, and social interactions. It is crucial to consider evidence-based practice approaches, which are founded on scientific research and have been proven successful in enhancing mental health outcomes, to address such issues. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one evidence-based treatment premise pertinent to this circumstance (Tay et al., 2019). CBT is a mechanism of psychotherapy that focuses on recognizing and altering unfavorable thought and behavior patterns. CBT could be utilized to assist Jodie in overcoming her unfavorable self-perception and exaggerated expectations of her physical appearance (Tay et al., 2019). CBT can help her develop more realistic and positive views concerning her body and herself by teaching her to detect and reframe negative thoughts and beliefs.
Family therapy is an additional component of evidence-based practice that can be helpful in this situation. Working with the entire family system to address problems that affect specific family members is the goal of family therapy. In the case of Mrs. Klein and Jodie, family therapy could be employed to handle the underlying factors that lead to the latter’s low self-esteem and unfavorable body image (Lock and Le Grange, 2019). Family therapy can aid in fostering healthy relationships, communication, and increased understanding by integrating the entire family into the therapeutic process. Other evidence-based therapies, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and interpersonal therapy (IPT), may be useful in this instance, in addition to CBT and family therapy (CEBC, 2023). Through MBSR, Jodie can strengthen her self-awareness and acceptance, resulting in higher levels of self-worth and self-compassion. IPT can assist her with enhancing her interpersonal and communication abilities, which will enhance her interactions with family, friends, and other people.
Genogram and Ecogram of the Family
Genogram
According to the genogram, Mrs. Klein was married to Mr. Klein, and the couple had three kids together: Melissa, Emma, and Jodie. After divorcing, Mr. Klein moved to a nearby state but remains active in his daughters’ lives. Melissa, a 21-year-old registered nurse, just completed her undergraduate education. Emma, who is 19 years old, is a college student studying early childhood education. Jodie is 16 years old and has been referred to a nearby family services center’s teenage therapy program.
Ecogram
Social surroundings:
- The Jewish community.
- An adolescent treatment unit at the local family services medical facility.
Economic surroundings:
- It is unclear whether or not Mrs. Klein is employed.
- Melissa works as a registered nurse.
- Emma is seeking a degree in early childhood education.
- Mr. Klein is a prosperous businessman who moved to a neighboring state following the divorce.
Cultural surroundings:
- Jewish cultural values and conventions.
- The value placed on physical attractiveness and beauty.
Life Themes:
- Issues with self-esteem as well as body image.
- Difficulty seeing one’s worth and beauty.
- Pressure to uphold cultural ideals of beauty.
- Divorce and mental health concerns are in the family.
From the ecogram, it is possible to see that the family is Jewish and that Jodie’s difficulties have led them to seek medical attention. The family’s economic circumstances are mixed with Mr. Klein being a prosperous businessman and Mrs. Klein’s employment status unknown. The family places much value on physical attractiveness, and Jodie is under pressure to meet conventional beauty standards. The family has a history of mental illness and divorce, and Mrs. Klein had a nervous breakdown the year before she was married.
Problems and Strengths of the Family Members
The situation of Mrs. Klein and her daughter Jodie had multiple intricate concerns that required the attention of mental health specialists. Significant weight loss, social disengagement, and anger in Jodie were signs of underlying emotional and psychological problems. Jodie may be suffering from social anxiety or disliking male attention if she wanted to attend an all-girls school and disliked her male classmates. Jodie may have body dysmorphic disorder or low self-esteem related to her physical appearance. This is based on her refusal to participate in gym class as she did not desire to change clothes in front of other people and her attempts to enlarge her breasts using tissue paper.
Jodie’s desire to have plastic surgery to alter the size of her breasts and nose was a sign that she had low self-esteem and desired to improve her physical appearance. The process can be a great decision, and it is usually advised for those who have tried everything else and have reasonable expectations. In Jodie’s instance, the desire for surgery might be related to more serious psychological problems that need to be resolved. It is important to highlight that Jodie has a good relationship with her two older sisters, each of whom is a success in her area. This information is vital since it raises the possibility that she is dealing with low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy as a result of her apparent failure to compete with her sisters’ achievements. The fact that she wishes to improve her physical appearance could result in her feeling even less competent.
Mrs. Klein may have endured substantial emotional trauma in the past, as evidenced by her insistence on being addressed as Mrs. Klein. Additionally, it can be seen in her reticence when asked about the circumstances that may have caused her divorce. Furthermore, she may have battled mental health concerns based on her nervous breakdown a year before her divorce and the subsequent counseling. Jodie’s difficulties are probably connected to her mother’s emotional state, which may have affected how she viewed herself and the world. Mrs. Klein may have a typical parenting style, which may not be suitable for Jodie’s particular requirements, as evidenced by her desire for Jodie to be tough and face her difficulties instead of avoiding them. Given Jodie’s difficulties, choosing a more compassionate and supportive approach may be necessary to improve her body image, self-esteem, and coping skills.
Literature Review of the Problems
Jodie
Cognitive-behavioral therapy can be effective in treating individuals with eating and body image issues. Tay et al. (2019) suggest that CBT can successfully lessen the symptoms of various diseases, suggesting that it would be a helpful solution for Jodie. CBT might be a useful strategy for enhancing her body image and reducing her unfavorable eating habits, given her desire to change her appearance and use tissue paper to enlarge her breasts. In addition, Lock and Le Grange (2019) investigated how families might help treat adolescent eating disorders. The value of family-based therapies in symptom reduction and recovery promotion in eating disordered adolescent patients. Given that Jodie has lost weight and her family is actively involved, a family-based intervention may be effective. As part of such an intervention, the family would be taught how to support Jodie emotionally and encouraged to adopt healthy eating habits. Any underlying family difficulties causing her problems may also be addressed.
Mrs. Klein
Psychotherapy is an effective mechanism that can aid in treating depression in adults. Mrs. Klein, who attended previous psychotherapy and had a nervous breakdown, may benefit from this, as Erkkilä et al. (2019) suggested. If she ever feels depressed again, it might provide her with research-based interventions. For depression, however, Duffy et al. (2019) investigate the efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT). If Mrs. Klein ever experiences depression, IPT may be a useful solution. IPT has been demonstrated to be successful in lowering depression symptoms.
Mr. Klein
It is essential to consider family interventions in cases where there are problems of domestic violence. These may be useful interventions for Jodie’s father since Mrs. Klein is secretive about the circumstances leading to her divorce (Carr, 2019). This may offer insightful information on effective interventions for this family member. Additionally, Stephens-Lewis et al. (2021) investigated to determine the effectiveness of couples therapy in reducing domestic violence. If Mrs. Klein and the father of Jodie are willing to go to treatment together, the intervention may be a good intervention to consider. Information from this work may help locate evidence-based interventions for this family member.
Jodie’s Sisters
Interventions that support work-family balance and lessen stress may benefit Jodie’s more accomplished older sisters. Such interventions might help to enhance their general well-being and ensure they can continue succeeding in their particular industries (Lefrançois & Trottier, 2022). Boamah et al. (2022) highlight the effects of career development interventions on academic women’s career satisfaction and retention. Interventions that support career development and fulfillment may apply to Jodie’s elder sisters since they are accomplished in different fields (Lavy, 2020). Alnuaimi et al. (2020) suggest that such interventions can ensure that people remain content in their careers. Ultimately, they can keep moving closer to their objectives.
References
Alnuaimi, K., Ali, R., & AlâYounis, N. (2020). Job satisfaction, work environment, and intent to stay of Jordanian midwives. International Nursing Review, 67(3), 403-410. Web.
Boamah, S. A., Hamadi, H. Y., Havaei, F., Smith, H., & Webb, F. (2022). Striking a balance between work and play: The effects of work-life interference and burnout on faculty turnover intentions and career satisfaction. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(2), 809. Web.
Carr, A. (2019). Couple therapy, family therapy and systemic interventions for adultâfocused problems: The current evidence base. Journal of Family Therapy, 41(4), 492-536. Web.
CEBC. (2023). The California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare. Web.
Duffy, F., Sharpe, H., & Schwannauer, M. (2019). The effectiveness of interpersonal psychotherapy for adolescents with depressionâa systematic review and metaâanalysis. Child and adolescent mental health, 24(4), 307-317. Web.
Erkkilä, J., Brabant, O., Saarikallio, S., Ala-Ruona, E., Hartmann, M., LetulÄ, N., & Gold, C. (2019). Enhancing the efficacy of integrative improvisational music therapy in the treatment of depression: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials, 20(1), 1-13. Web.
Lavy, S. (2020). A review of character strengths interventions in twenty-first-century schools: Their importance and how they can be fostered. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 15, 573-596. Web.
Lefrançois, M., & Trottier, M. (2022). Work-family balance in the construction industry: why gender analysis matters to develop sustainable interventions. Ergonomics, 65(11), 1525-1536. Web.
Lock, J., & Le Grange, D. (2019). Familyâbased treatment: Where are we and where should we be going to improve recovery in child and adolescent eating disorders? International Journal of Eating Disorders, 52(4), 481-487. Web.
Stephens-Lewis, D., Johnson, A., Huntley, A., Gilchrist, E., McMurran, M., Henderson, J., & Gilchrist, G. (2021). Interventions to reduce intimate partner violence perpetration by men who use substances: a systematic review and meta-analysis of efficacy. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 22(5), 1262-1278. Web.
Tay, K. W., Subramaniam, P., & Oei, T. P. (2019). Cognitive behavioral therapy can be effective in treating anxiety and depression in persons with dementia: a systematic review. Psychogeriatrics, 19(3), 264-275. Web.