Signs and symptoms that point to a mental health diagnosis
- List the signs and symptoms that point to a mental health diagnosis in the case.
- Describe the other case details you would need to know for treatment planning and explain your reasoning.
- List and describe the treatment interventions you would use for this case and explain your reasoning.
Case Study 9.1
Pari, a 32-year-old woman from Iran who had been living in the United States with her husband and 4-year-old son, was found wandering between the buildings in her apartment complex. She had no signs of alcohol or drug use, and there was no indication that she had been harmed or injured, but she could not remember her name, where she lived, or any facts about her family.
The amnesia persisted for 14 days, after which Pari started to remember her name, where she lived, and other details of her life, including her childhood in Iran. Pari and her family had been Kurdish refugees, living on the border between Iran and Iraq when war broke out. Explosions occurred almost daily, and during one particularly heavy period of bombing, the young girl saw many atrocities and was separated from her family for days.
Pari finally remembered the incident that had happened the night she developed dissociative amnesia. While she was in the basement laundry room, an explosion occurred in the boiler room next door. Once again, she feared she was going to die.
Pari was diagnosed with dissociative amnesia, with dissociative fugue.
