The case of Sharon and her four children signifies that depression is affecting the entire family. It is thus important that the entire family undergo counseling for depression in order to save the family. As for the mother, Sharon, both drug intervention and counseling be provided to her, since it is evident from the case description that she is the most affected person in the family, based on the role she is expected to provide to the rest of the family.
Her frequent crying in front of her children and her expression that she wishes that she never had children and were single again shows signs that she has been feeling helpless and dysfunctional as a mother to her three children. The children are also depressed yet this is due to the poor performance of their depressed mother and not a primary mental health issue. The children, especially Lindsey and Grant, suffer from depression secondary to their mother Sharon’s depression.
Their actions such as running away from home and throwing a book at a teacher are signs that these children are angry and their uncontrolled behavior are forms of release of their frustration over their mother’s condition. It is thus important that the entire family undergo group therapy because children are generally more responsive to therapy if conducted in groups. With respect to their mother, it is best that Sharon expresses what she feels about their current situation and it would be helpful if the children were to listen to their mother in the presence of a counselor.
Group therapy is also important because it provides a venue for the rest of the family members to understand what a depressed person feels and this will help the rest of the members of the family in supporting the depressed individual in handling stressful situations that triggered the depression (Fain et al. , 2008). Group therapy will also allow the entire family to devise new ways of handling the situation, as well as to avoid difficult conditions that may further affect the other members of the family (Gladding, 2007).
A counselor during group therapy will regulate the discussion among the members of the family, as well as guide the group towards to right direction for therapy.
Reference Fain DS, Sharon A, Moscovici L, Schreiber S (2008): Psychotropic medication from an object relations theory perspective: an analysis of vignettes from group psychotherapy. Int. J. Group Psychother. 58(3):303-26. Gladding ST (2007): Family therapy: History, theory, and practice. Boston, MA: Pearson Prentice Hall.