Case Study #13 Psychology

Case Study #13

Christina is a 10-year old girl who has significant signs of Social Phobia and Avoidant Personality Disorder. Some symptoms Christina exhibits are poor social skills with other students in her fourth grade classroom; she is reluctant to engage in conversation, has not a single friend and is extremely uncomfortable around other students. Christina often stands off to the side of the playground during recess with her head down. She is now 6 months into school and still no interaction has taken place. Christina’s teacher has become increasingly concerned for her student. The teacher has contacted her mother and convinced her to take Christina to seek out professional help. Christina’s mother has tried to get her daughter involved with other children around her age and tried to establish some sort of friendship. However Christina’s mother had made an effort and it was still not working. Her daughter would start to shake and cry therefore they had to leave the other children. Christina has never been invited to attend a birthday party of another child. Keep in mind that this problem has been persistent since kindergarten. Lastly when Christina comes home she is warm and outgoing with her family it’s like she is a complete different person.

Axis I - Avoidant Personality Disorder- a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts.

Christina shows signs of the disorder describe below:

- Views self as socially inept, personally unappealing, or inferior to others

- Is unwilling to get involved with people unless certain of being liked

- Is preoccupied with being criticized or rejected in social situations

- Is in inhibited in new interpersonal situations because of feelings of inadequacy

- Is unusually reluctant to take personal risks or to engage in any new activities because they may prove embarrassing

- Avoids...