Third Wave Therapies for An Adolescent with Depression and Dissociative Coping Styles

Depression is a common mood disorder which negatively affects activities of daily living in patients due to low mood. Many association studies have found depressive disorder to be highly prevalent in women than men. Brooding tendencies over past failure are significant among adolescent girls increasing the risk of depression. Similarly, familial discord and violence are antecedents for onset of adolescent depression. This case study illustrates a psychotherapeutic intervention using, cognitive behavior therapy and dialectical behavior therapy for an adolescent female to address clinical picture of depression. Although she has history of adverse childhood experiences such as corporal punishments and domestic violence, the client wanted to focus on present problems. This case discusses the clinical judgement and decision making to explore the clinical features of adolescent depression in a systematic approach using a single case discussion. The case study highlights complex presentations of clinical cases, assessment findings and importance of clinician decision making with third wave therapies for addressing complex clinical cases.