Family Functioning and Adolescent Depression

Abstract

A 14-year-old girl student presented with a depressive mood that led to aggression. She is diagnosed with major depressive disorder with multiple histories of suicidal attempts resulting from family factors, life events and environmental factors. She is predisposed to her parents’ divorce, leading to a weak parent-child relationship. This condition is precipitated by some physical and emotional abuse by her mother as well as attention deficit that causes an acute stress response, which manifests as feelings of persistent sadness and worry. It is perpetuated by the lack of social support and stigmata of mental illness towards her. The patient is treated with antidepressants for mood regulation and supportive psychotherapy. Additionally, psychosocial therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) could be used along with pharmacotherapy to optimize the effectiveness of major depression disorder for this patient. Psychosocial support is provided to her by the paediatrician, the Social Welfare Malaysia, the One-Stop Crisis Centre, and the police.