Review the Case Illustration 10.1 on pages 237 of your textbook and refer to the Symptoms of Depression illustration on page 236 AND answer: What are some of the challenges that Kesha is facing? Knowing these challenges, evaluate the developmental crisis and potential implications for her?

Case Illustration 10.1Depression

After 3 years of marriage, Kesha and her husband Tommy's relationship became very challenging and they decided to end their marriage and consequently filed for divorce. Tommy felt there was no hope for their marriage to continue, whereas Kesha thought they could work on their marital relationship and would stay together. While married, Tommy and Kesha were financially stable, and they decided to become parents and raised a healthy son. After the divorce, Kesha became a single mother of a 2-year-old boy, had multiple responsibilities, and was insecure and financially unstable. After a couple of months of dealing with bills that needed to be paid and meeting the needs of her son, Kesha became very depressed. She was depressed not only about her financial situation but also from not being self-sufficient like other single mothers. She felt guilty because her son was not going to be able to experience growing up with a father like she and other kids in her family did. Kesha found a job near her home, where she worked full-time 5 days a week. She arrived home after 6:00 p.m. and by that time she just wanted to go to sleep. She wanted to spend time with her son, but she just felt a lack of energy and did not want to do anything. Kesha told her sister who was babysitting her son that she just wanted to sleep so that she did not have to think, and everything would go away.

SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION:

--Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions -Fatigue and decreased energy -Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness -Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism -Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping -Iritability or restlessness -Loss of interest in activities or hobbies, including sex -Overeating or appetite loss -Persistent aches or pains headaches, cramps, or digestive problems -Persistent sad, anxious, or empty feelings -Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts