Case study-

Jess, aged 18, is in her first year of studying engineering at university. She attended a private all-girls school and excelled at her studies, becoming head girl and achieving high scores in her final exams. Her parents are very proud of her and have funded her to live-in at a prestigious hall of residence so that she can have the "full experience" of university and make suitable future professional and personal contacts. None of Jess's close friends chose engineering and she has lost touch with them. Jess is one of only four girls in the first-year engineering group.

She is finding it difficult to settle in. She feels homesick and has not made any friends at the hall of residence or within her class. She is struggling academically and finding it hard to concentrate and to organise her work. She stays up late at night studying but still cannot grasp much of the material. She has trouble sleeping, is losing her appetite, and has begun to experience anxiety attacks and periods of depression when she cannot force herself to get out of bed, and has begun to miss classes. When she feels really bad, she has found that cutting her arms helps her to feel more in control. Jess visits her parents each week but has not told them about her difficulties. She goes to see the university's student counsellor to talk about these issues.

Questions-

1. What factors might be contributing to Jess's issues? Identify three things in this scenario that may be resulting in her feeling anxious and depressed.

2. Outline a starting point for a counsellor to take in identifying and addressing Jess's issues that fits with a recovery model.

3. Suggest three types of service or support that could be offered to Jess and that would be relevant to her situation.

4. Explain the principle of early intervention in relation to Jess's situation.