Linda Case Study

Case Study 2 –
Linda

By Niall Donohoe

Human Growth & Development
February 2016

Introduction
The following is a case study on Linda, a 14 year old girl who attends respite. Linda has become very withdrawn and is displaying signs of an eating disorder. As one of her carers, I will identify who I need to talk to and what Linda’s individual needs are. I will also discuss what skills I will need and the strategies that need to be implemented to help Linda.
For information and research purposes I will be using the National Learning Network’s notes and the internet. I have over 30 years of practice of interacting with people through verbal and non verbal communication. With this experience comes a lot of common sense which I will be attributing

Eating disorders arise for many reasons, mainly physical, psychological and social issues and require professional attention as soon as possible (Life Span Development 2010).
Intellectual – Piaget describes this part of human progression as ‘Formal Operational Thinking’. This is when an adolescent develops abstract logic and reasoning. Also strategic planning also becomes possible. It is from this that David Elkind formed his theory of adolescent egocentrism. He states that at this age, adolescents are generally self centred and they can only see the world from their own perspective. They are highly self conscious which could be associated with Linda.
Emotional – To try to understand Linda’s emotional state we should look at Erikson’s fifth stage of development which is ‘Identity v Role Confusion’. This is related to how teens see themselves through identity and self concept. High self esteem is linked with teenagers who are close to their parents. Plenty of support and compliments along with promoting a positive image of Linda will hopefully raise her confidence and self

For communicating in this situation I should promote active listening and open questioning. This should help me to find out as much information as possible which should lead to a more thorough conclusion. Also clear and concise interaction with other professionals like the multi-disciplinary team is highly important.
To solve a lot of problems that may arise when caring I will need to show assertiveness and good advocacy skills. In Linda’s situation, showing that extra bit of initiative and being an extra voice in her corner could make a big difference for her.
Perhaps the most important skill to have is empathy. When I am using a holistic, person centred approach it always helps to be able to understand how Linda might be feeling especially if she is having difficulty expressing herself.
A positive outlook and attitude are also vitally important. I find positivity infectious the same way panic can be, so a good temperament should also be a must for a healthcare