Introduction
It looks that April is dealing with a number of mental health issues that are making her social and professional life challenging. Some of the difficulties are a result of how her peers treated her when she was in elementary and high school.
April's Experience with Bullying
April recalls experiencing bullying at school because of her mixed-race heritage. She thought she was "big" and "unattractive" in primary schools since she did not feel loved by the other students. A person's self-esteem is influenced by how they see themselves (Jacobson, Nora, and Dianne 483). The fact that her parents are of different racial backgrounds makes her feel ashamed and discriminated against. April isolated herself from friends and never invited them over to her house as she feared they might notice her parent's ethnic diversity.
Challenges in Relationships
The first time April went out with a boy seems to have gone wrong since she was not comfortable enough to discuss it. The current boyfriend Josh often criticizes April's body weight and she is troubled by the idea. April does not feel a sense of belonging either at work or in the drama group. She feels that no one understands her situation and is willing to assist her. She feels anxious when in social functions and has no motivation to work. Besides, she likes isolating herself and is not interested in seeing her boyfriend Josh, parents, and older brother. April is not motivated to pursue further education.
Assisting April's Recovery
April can be assisted to recover from her mental health problems by identifying her strengths, vulnerabilities, and predisposing factors. She is vulnerable because her parents are of different ethnic origin (Martin et al 41). Also, she does not have a close person with whom she can discuss her problems (Golightley, Malcolm, and Robert 84). Her father is of Anglo-Saxon ancestry while her mother is Indigenous. She is likely to associate negative remarks directed towards her as ethnic discrimination due to her indigenous background (Ragins et al. 33). April is at the risk of becoming depressed. She does not open up about the problems troubling her to either friends or family members (Borg, Marit, and Kristjana 498). Also, she has lost much weight since she is stressed and has no one to assist her to overcome the challenges she faces (Turner 110). Childhood traumas are also troubling April (Jones et al. 62). She has low self-esteem as she considers herself as unattractive and thinks that no one loves her for who she is (Delgado, Richard, and Jean 33). One of her strengths is being sharp in mind and able to pursue higher education for personal and professional development (Rapp and Richard 34). Additionally, she is a performer both at work and in academics as she was elected student representative owing to her exemplary performance. The key life domains that are important to April's situation include family/relationships, health/fitness, self-esteem/life purpose, and stress mastery (Barak 28).
Recovery Approach
Assisting April in recovering from her conditions will require the use of psychosocial, transpersonal, social cognitive, and systems social work theories. The psychosocial theory will be useful in identifying the social crises April has gone through, as well as how she reacts to people and the world around her (Capuzzi, David, and Mark 109). Transpersonal theory will be useful in uplifting April's self-esteem and equipping her with ways in which she can overcome hard times (Pomaki 15). Social cognitive theory will be used to correct any destructive behavior April may have (Greene, Roberta, and Joe 43). The systems theory will help devise systems that contribute towards April's behavior and welfare, and ways of strengthening the systems (Evans, Dave, and Jeremy 19). If April was discriminated either at work or in the drama group due to her ethnic background, there is a need to seek legal counsel on the issue (Hepworth et al. 201). Before commencing the Recovery program for April, I would find out more about her behavior from family members.
Works Cited
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Martin, A., et al. “An integrated approach to workplace mental health.” (2017): 41.
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Ragins, Belle Rose, et al. “Like second-hand smoke, racial discrimination at work can affect bystanders.” LSE Business Review (2017):33.
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