Read the following case study and answer the questions below:
Peter, age 14, lives in an apartment with one older sister and his parents. He is frequently in trouble at school and was recently suspended for several days after fighting with another child. When a teacher intervened, he picked up a chair and threw it at her. He screamed and swore at her, and only stopped the aggressive outburst when he was restrained by two adults. In the last two years, Peter’s school principal has complained about his quick temper, defiance, bullying, and truancy. His parents have worried about his behavior at home since he was a toddler. Peter was born prematurely, and as a baby, cried frequently and was hard to console. As a toddler, his language was slow to develop. He was difficult for his parents to control as a preschooler and this worsened as he got older. As an adolescent, he shows a lot of aggression but he also suffers from intense low moods. He cries often, complains that he has no friends and that he is useless. More recently, he has talked about killing himself. He is frequently bullied at school. His parents are often angry and harsh with him, but also capitulate to his demands. They get tired of arguing and feel sorry for him because he is so miserable. His parents frequently fight with one another over how to manage him. Although he was close to his older sister when he was younger, this is no longer the case. When Peter is seen at the clinic, he cries throughout his visit, describes intense feelings of frustration, sadness and loneliness, and denies that his aggression occurs.
1) What kinds of intervention approaches do you think might be most effective in helping Peter?
2) Describe how you would explain his situation to his caregivers and teachers?
3) What kinds of programs should our society make available to prevent and treat mental health problems in children and adolescents?
