Case studies
Laurie was sick again. Why was she running this low-grade fever? She was tired. She had no energy. Could it be mononucleosis? Laurie had heard that lots of teenagers felt this way from mononucleosis. Could that be the reason she was feeling ill?
After a series of blood tests revealed nothing definitive, the doctor mentioned the possibility of stress. Laurie was not able to identify anything that could be triggering it. And she knew that fevers are not caused by stress, or so she thought. Soon she started to feel better and forgot all about her symptoms and her fever until the next marking period when the symptoms reappeared. After four months of this recurring ailment, her parents and doctor began to note a predictable pattern It seemed that during her senior year of high school, Laurie became ill every time a paper was due in her advanced English class.
Could this be? Could written assignments trigger these symptoms? This deserved serious consideration, especially when her mom recounted the machinations she went through to complete the last assignment. Laurie was to write about Shakespeare, and after great difficulty deciding upon the right topic, she finally chose to write about the men who in Shakespeare's time played women and disguised themselves as men in the plot.
It was Laurie's pattern to choose the most difficult and obscure topic she could find or invent. To make matters even worse, Laurie lived in a university town and had access to the university library where she consulted highly advanced reference materials to support her thesis. Both these events-finding the topic and the resources-were rather challenging. Often she would procrastinate until the final moment came to sit down and write the paper. This repeated procedure was true for this paper as well.
With time almost running out and her stress levels increasing, Laurie felt fatigued and feverish. Laurie's grandmother had been an English teacher and an expert in classical literature. Her grandmother offered to help. Laurie accepted the invitation and arrived at her grandmother's house feeling so stressed by this time that a minor provocation initiated a screaming temper tantrum. As Laurie explained, "The screaming and crying, as I began to understand, was a way for me to relieve my stress. But my grandmother didn't know that and offered to drive me home." Her stress level lowered after the crying and screaming, Laurie felt greatly relieved. She calmed down and was able to talk through her ideas with her grandmother. Then she spent the rest of the night completing the paper. Completely drained the next day and still running a mild fever, she stayed home from school but managed to send the paper in.
Read the case study above and answer the following questions. Please type your answers and submit your assignment on Blackboard under Assignments (Blackboard assignments).
1. Using your understanding of Eudaimonic well-being, discuss three points from the case study that indicate Laurie’s lack of skills in this area. (6)
2. Laurie’s mother approaches you as a Life Orientation teacher to assist her daughter to deal with her stress effectively. While you are not a psychologist, you take on the challenge from the Life orientation perspective and set out to assist Laurie.
a. You start by providing an understanding of the stress concept to Laurie. Draw on the content in the case study to explain stress as
i. Response
ii. Stimulus
iii. Transaction (9)
b. Read up on systems’ theory and indicate how you would use a systems theory approach to assist Laura in her stress predicament. In your essay, refer directly to the aspects that you would be targeting in the case study and the strategy you would use in this regard. You need to show your understanding of systems theory (5marks) and how you would apply it in this case study (5 marks)
1. Three points from the case study that indicate Laurie's lack of skills in Eudaimonic well-being are:
a. Laurie focuses too much on external sources of stress such as difficult assignments and access to advanced reference materials, rather than focusing on how to manage her emotions and reactions to these stressors. This indicates a lack of self-awareness and emotional regulation skills.
b. Laurie procrastinates until the last minute and chooses difficult and obscure topics, which shows a lack of resilience and resourcefulness in managing her workload effectively.
c. Laurie's stress levels reach a point where she experiences physical symptoms such as fatigue and fever, indicating a lack of physical self-care and the ability to recognize and manage the impact of stress on her health.
2. a.
i. Response: Stress can be understood as the body's response to perceived threats or demands that exceed its ability to cope effectively. In Laurie's case, her stress response manifests as fever, fatigue, and emotional outbursts.
ii. Stimulus: Stress can also be understood as a stimulus or trigger that causes the body's response. For Laurie, the stimulus is the pressure and expectations associated with completing difficult English assignments.
iii. Transaction: Stress can also be understood as a transactional process, where the interaction between the individual and their environment creates stress. In Laurie's case, her difficulty in finding the right topic and resources, combined with her tendency to procrastinate, create a transactional cycle that leads to increasing stress levels.
b. A systems theory approach to assist Laurie in her stress predicament would involve understanding the multiple systems that interact to create and perpetuate her stress response. This could include her individual factors such as emotions, coping skills, and health status, as well as external factors such as school expectations, family dynamics, and access to resources.
One strategy would be to work with Laurie to identify and change patterns in her behavior and interactions with these systems. For example, she could learn techniques for managing her emotions and stress response, such as mindfulness or breathing exercises. She could also work on improving her time management and study skills to reduce the pressure associated with completing difficult assignments.
A systems theory approach would also involve working closely with Laurie's family and school to create a supportive environment that fosters her well-being. This could include helping her parents understand how to provide emotional support during stressful times, or advocating for changes in school policies or expectations that could reduce stress for all students. Overall, a systems theory approach would view Laurie's stress as a complex and dynamic problem that requires a holistic and collaborative solution.
1. Three points from the case study that indicate Laurie's lack of skills in Eudaimonic well-being are:
a) Lack of self-awareness: Laurie is not able to identify the trigger for her recurring symptoms and is initially unaware that stress could be a contributing factor.
b) Ineffective stress management: Laurie resorts to screaming temper tantrums as a way to relieve her stress. This indicates a lack of effective coping mechanisms and emotional regulation skills.
c) Perfectionism and high self-imposed expectations: Laurie consistently chooses difficult and obscure topics for her assignments, procrastinates until the last moment, and consults highly advanced reference materials. This suggests a need for approval and a tendency towards perfectionism, which can contribute to stress and anxiety.
2. a) In order to explain stress to Laurie, you can draw on the following concepts from the case study:
i) Response: Stress can be understood as the body's response to a perceived threat or challenge. In Laurie's case, her stress response manifests as physical symptoms such as fatigue and fever, as well as emotional distress.
ii) Stimulus: Stress can also be seen as the external events or situations that trigger the stress response. In Laurie's case, the stimuli include the pressure of completing assignments, choosing difficult topics, and accessing advanced resources.
iii) Transaction: Stress can be understood as a transactional process involving the interaction between the individual and their environment. In Laurie's case, the transactional nature of stress can be seen in how her stress levels increase as deadlines approach and how her interactions with her grandmother help to alleviate her stress.
b) A systems theory approach can be used to assist Laurie in her stress predicament. Systems theory emphasizes the interconnectedness and interdependence of various components within a system. In the case study, the following aspects can be targeted:
- Family system: The family system plays a role in Laurie's stress, as her mother is concerned and seeks help. By involving the family in the intervention, communication and support can be enhanced, which can contribute to Laurie's well-being.
- Social support system: Laurie's grandmother offers support and helps her in managing her stress. By further strengthening her social support system, Laurie can have access to additional resources and coping mechanisms.
- Time management system: Laurie's habit of procrastination contributes to her stress. By helping her develop effective time management skills, she can learn to spread out her workload and reduce the pressure of completing assignments at the last moment.
The strategy in applying systems theory in this case study would involve identifying and addressing the different systems (such as family, social support, and time management systems) that influence Laurie's stress levels. This could involve interventions such as family therapy, teaching effective communication skills, providing tools for time management, and fostering a supportive environment. The goal is to create a more balanced and supportive system that can help Laurie effectively manage her stress.