A concise essay referencing the below case vignette and answering the following questions:
A 56-year-old African American female presents at your practice complaining of dry mouth and gastrointestinal upset that coincides with her primary care physician prescribing an antidepressant.
She also has a diagnosis of breast cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. She wishes to discontinue the anti depressant medication and wants to know what you think. She admits being worried and sad about her health status but remarked, “who wouldn’t be?”
You request her medical records per a signed authorization for release of information and discover that she was given what appears to be a depression checklist that resulted in a diagnosis being rendered by the PCP of “Major Depressive Disorder.”
You notice that several of the symptoms endorsed pertain to the physical symptoms of depression such as feeling tired and having a change in appetite. You schedule a phone conference with her primary care physician who prescribed the antidepressant to discuss your mutual patient.
What concerns, if any, do you have about her diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder?
How would you go about assessing whether or not this patient is indeed clinically depressed?
What would you like to inquire about or learn from the PCP’s perspective?
What would you like the PCP to learn or know from your perspective as a psychologist?
What, if any, issues might be sensitive to navigate in this conversation in terms of professional roles and scope of practice?
What would be your next step as the treating psychologist?
