This document discusses two discussion prompts related to mental health and midlife crises. For the first discussion, colleagues provide responses about a case involving a returning soldier experiencing mental health issues. They describe how psychoeducation could be used with the soldier and his family. For the second discussion, colleagues characterize midlife crises and how social workers can help individuals through this transition period.

1. Discussion – Week 3 Discussion 1 & 2Top of Form
Discussion – Week 3 Discussion 1 & 2Top of FormDiscussion 1: Mental Health and the
FamilyThe unique pressures of young and middle adulthood—financial and career
ambitions, building a family, caring for older relatives—can contribute to mental health and
substance use issues. It is important to remember that these issues affect not only the
individual but also loved ones living in the same home such as partners and children.In
cases of mental health and substance use, social workers can use psychoeducation with
family members to provide information about a mental health issue and treatment. When
using this intervention, social workers must adapt it to the specific family members,
accommodating their cognitive level and age.For this Discussion, you analyze a case in
which a returning soldier, who is also a husband and father, experiences mental health
symptoms resulting from combat.By 12/18/2021Respond to two colleagues by critiquing
their strategies for applying psychoeducation and providing suggestions for how to
approach the situation differently. Additionally, share at least one community resource in
your area that could help Marcus and his family.Use the Learning Resources to support your
posts. Make sure to provide APA citations and a reference list.Discussion 1 Colleagues1:
Kenchelle Wells In what ways has trauma impacted Marcus’s daily functioning? Trauma can
occur to anyone and at any time and this is especially true for military families (Herzog et
al,2020). Marcus’s trauma comes from him being deployed multiple times in battle zones
overseas. His daily functioning has been tremendously impacted because of the
deployments. He is having issues adjusting to daily life since returning home. Marcus is
having a hard time connecting with his wife and son the way he would like to. He loves his
wife but doesn’t know how to connect with her anymore and he also is having a hard time
being an attentive father. Marcus is also having a hard time staying motivated in life. He
wants to find employment and continue his education, but he just can’t find it within himself
to do those things that he has a desire to do. Marcus’s trauma also has him staring off into
space at times, as well as difficulty sleeping because of nightmares. He has lost weight and
feels as though as he has a short fuse and could go off at a moment’s notice. Describe how
you as the social worker would integrate elements of psychoeducation with Marcus and his
family. As the social worker to Marcus and his family the elements of psychoeducation that I
would integrate would be trauma-informed care. Trauma-informed care also known as TIC,
“can be conceptualized as the contextual framework in which trauma impacted individuals
are treated” (Herzog et al, 2020). The goal of working with Marcus and his family is to get
them both to understand how the other is feeling and how to work together to help the

2. other. In order to do this, each person must identify that there is trauma in their lives. Once
this has been accepted by everyone than I can move on to helping them with what they are
going through. Educating Marcus and his family on what he is going through and how it
affects him as well as them is key to their treatment. How would you adapt
psychoeducation for the cognitive level of the family member? I would use psychoeducation
to make sure that the family is informed on what can happen when a person goes through
the type of trauma, like Marcus has been through. Making sure that his wife is informed on
how to deal with trauma will help her when she sees Marcus losing focus or feeling
unmotivated. If she knows what to look for then she will be able to help him on his
treatment journey. She may also need counseling as well. I would suggest both individual
and group therapy. That way she can hear from individuals who are going through the same
thing that she is. Herzog, J.R., Whitworth, J.D., &Scott, D.L. (2020). Trauma informed care
with military populations. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 30(3),
265-278. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2019.1679693 Walden University, LLC.
(2021). Social work case studies [Interactive media]. https://class.waldenu.edu Bottom of
FormDiscussion 1 Colleagues 2: Tamika Dukes RE: Discussion 1 – Week 3Top of
FormMilitary life can be stressful. The transition from the military into civilian life poses
significant and predictable challenges for military families (Sherman, M. D., & Larsen, J. L.
(2018).). The social environment of the military changed the psychological functioning for
Marcus. After arriving home after an extended period, he felt different because he had
gotten used to the harsh conditions. He was finding it hard to adjust to a domestic wife. He
did not feel the emotional attachment with his wife that he had previously had, even though
he still loved her. He also did not pay much attention to his son. Instead of Marcus going to
look for a job or enroll in a course, he spent most of the time smoking cigarettes thinking
about his past life. He also found it difficult to sleep, lost his appetite, and reported feeling
constantly nervous. The battlefield trauma left deep emotional scars that impact their
ability to function in civilian life. He also was involved in an explosion caused by improvised
explosive devices where he got injuries of the ear and mild traumatic brain injury which
affected him psychologically.Military members, veterans, and their families will often not
understand the proper sources and etiology of the trauma symptoms they are experiencing
(Herzog, J., Everson, B., & Whitworth, J. (2011). A psychoeducation program will be
essential to help the military members and their families understand the valid sources and
etiology of the symptoms of trauma experienced by Marcus. When this psychoeducation is
done in a military-culturally sensitive, human-centered, and relationship-focused manner, it
has been found to help these clients build resiliency as they respond to their trauma
experience(s) (Whitworth, 2016). they can cope with the symptoms, and also the program
will also help them not to blame themselves for the difficulties they are experiencing. The
program will also enable Marcus to explain their responses. It will make him understand the
connection between the traumatic experiences in the military and the symptoms. The
symptoms can be transformative, and they can facilitate healing. The psycho-educational
program must focus on the sensitivity of the military culture; it should be human-centered,
meaning that it has to focus on the physical, culture, and the society where Marcus and his
wife come from. The family will finally be able to build resiliency as they respond to the

3. experience of trauma. (Zastrow, 2019)ReferencesHerz. Herzog, J.R., Whitworth, J.D., Scott,
D.L. (2020). Trauma Informed care with military population
https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2019.1679693Sherman, M. D., & Larsen, J. L. (2018).
Family-focused interventions and resources for veterans and their families. Psychological
Services, 15(2), 146–153. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000174Zastrow, C., Kirst-Ashman,
K. K., & Hessenauer, S. L. (2018). Empowerment Series: Understanding Human Behavior and
the Social Environment (11th Edition). Cengage Learning US.
https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781337670722Discussion 2: Characteristics of
Midlife CrisesPicture someone standing in the middle of a bridge. First, they look back at
where they have been and what they have done along the way to that point; then they look
forward, seeing what little space they have left to travel and considering the extent they will
be able to make the journey meaningful. If the bridge represents life, the person stuck in the
middle, in a period of uncertainty and evaluation, is someone in a midlife crisis.The
phenomenon is often portrayed in popular media: a middle-aged man buys a sportscar, has
an extramarital affair, and begins socializing with the younger generation. But what exactly
is a “midlife crisis,” and why does it occur? While some researchers question the term,
stating that such crises are not necessarily limited to midlife, it is believed to be experienced
by a sizable segment of the population. However, the crisis may look different from person
to person.Bottom of FormTop of FormBy 12/17/2021Respond to two colleagues by
respectfully agreeing or disagreeing with their characterization of a midlife crisis. Also offer
additional insight about how social workers can help people through midlife crises.Use the
Learning Resources to support your posts. Make sure to provide APA citations and a
reference list.Discussion 2 Colleagues 1: Mamie Jackson“Signs of a midlife crisis can range
from mild to severe, including Exhaustion, boredom, or discontentment with life or with a
lifestyle (including people and things) that previously provided fulfillment. Frantic energy;
feeling restless and wanting to do something completely different.”
(https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/midlife/).Many people between the
ages of 45-65 tend to have the experience of feeling like they have not accomplished
everything they wanted to in their time here on the earth. And many of them are
experiencing children leaving the nest- or becoming empty nester. Some may feel unhappy
with their jobs, unvalidated in their marriages, and begin thinking about the impending
growing old stages, and eventual loss of much of their independence, after retirement.Men
tend to want to experience being younger and may begin to work out more- buy a sports car
or a flashier car – and may even begin an affair with a younger woman.Women tend to have
more mood swings, anxiety, weigh loss or gain, depression, sleep issues, and may withdraw
from their regular routines.“A midlife crisis often involves mood irregularities (notably
increased anger or irritability, anxiety, or sadness), weight loss or gain, sleep disruption,
and withdrawal from the regular routine and relationships. People experiencing the middle-
age slump generally have an urgent desire to make some drastic
change.”(https://www.psychologytoday.com/).Some psychological and social factors of a
midlife crisis tend to be brought on by factors such as life changing events- divorce, job loss,
the death of a loved one, or moving or relocating to a new city or town. Psychologically this
is a period of transition- when a person is still trying to hold on to their younger selves-

4. while facing the aging process of growing old. “Socially and emotionally, the middle-aged
brain is calmer, less neurotic, more capable of managing emotions, and better able to
negotiate social situations.” (Phillips, 2011). Other physical symptoms may include a change
in sleeping habits, feeling tired or hopeless, anxiety or irritable, feeling helpless or
worthless. (https://www.webmed.com).Social workers can help clients going through
midlife crisis- by showing compassion while their client is going though such difficult times.
Working to help the client to prioritize the positive things in their lives, and work to
practice positive thinking, being mindful of how they speak to others, especially their
spouse- and to work on their mental health- though counseling or medication to help with
their depression and anxiety.Discussion 2 Colleagues2: McKayla Drew Top of FormLevinson
believed in the concept of “life structure,” where “a person’s life structure shapes and is
shaped by the person’s interaction with the environment” (Zastrow et al., 2019). Levinson
also believed that a midlife crisis was a normal part of development as a person becomes
more aware of how much time has passed by and how much time is left (Levinson, 1978).
Specific characteristics that can occur during a midlife crisis include depression, fatigue,
hopelessness, anxiety, irritability, helplessness, worthlessness, and restlessness
(GoodTherapy, 2019). Physical, psychological, and emotional changes can occur during
middle adulthood among men and women (Zastrow et al., 2019). Since middle adulthood
generally ranges from thirty to sixty-five years of age, changing levels of testosterone and
estrogen impacts an individual both physically and mentally (Zastrow et al., 2019). With
varying physiological and psychological changes with aging for men and women, midlife
crises have different characteristics in different genders (Zastrow et al., 2019).Men and
women both experience biological changes as they age, which will impact their social and
emotional functioning. For example, men will go through male climacteric around forty to
fifty years of age (Zastrow et al., 2019). As testosterone levels start to decrease in the male
body, they will begin to experience physical and psychological changes (Zastrow et al.,
2019). During this time, men will begin to reevaluate their life choices (Zastrow et al.,
2019). A prominent part of male climacteric is due to depression brought on by a fear of
aging (Zastrow et al., 2019). Men may also experience divorce, affairs, accidents, substance
abuse, alcohol abuse, self-harm, suicide, high financial spending, and career changes as well
(Zastrow et al., 2019). Women will also experience female climacteric, more commonly
known as menopause (Zastrow et al., 2019). Menopause usually occurs around the age of
fifty but can occur earlier or later depending on genetics (Zastrow et al., 2019). As estrogen
levels begin to decrease in the female body, they will also start to experience physical and
psychological changes. During this time, women will experience physical effects like hot
flashes. Women can also feel psychological symptoms like anxiety, depression, low self-
worth, lack of fulfillment, and no longer feeling needed (Zastrow et al., 2019). If both men
and women are emotionally accepting of their respective climacteric phases, their negative
social and emotional feelings will be far less (Zastrow et al., 2019).A social worker can help
individuals navigate a midlife crisis by using empowerment and a strengths-based
approach. Assisting an individual to recognize all of the successes they have experienced
could help to reduce negative self-thought. An additional option could include group
therapy sessions so that this individual does not feel alone while going through this new

5. phase in their life. A social worker can also educate clients on the physiological changes that
their body is going through and help them establish proper primary medical care if they do
not have any. ReferencesGoodTherapy. (2019). Midlife crisis. Therapy for Midlife Crisis.
Retrieved from https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/issues/midlife-
crisis Levinson, D. J. (1978). The seasons of a man’s life: With Charlotte N. Darrow A. O.
Knopf. Zastrow, C. H., Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hessenauer, S. L. (2019). Understanding
human behavior and the social environment (11th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage
Learning.Bottom of FormBottom of FormFOLLOW RUBRIC Initial Posting: Content14.85
(49.5%) – 16.5 (55%)Initial posting thoroughly responds to all parts of the Discussion
prompt. Posting demonstrates excellent understanding of the material presented in the
Learning Resources, as well as ability to apply the material. Posting demonstrates
exemplary critical thinking and reflection, as well as analysis of the weekly Learning
Resources. Specific and relevant examples and evidence from at least two of the Learning
Resources and other scholarly sources are used to substantiate the argument or
viewpoint.Follow-Up Response Postings: Content6.75 (22.5%) – 7.5 (25%)Student
thoroughly addresses all parts of the response prompt. Student responds to at least two
colleagues in a meaningful, respectful manner that promotes further inquiry and extends
the conversation. Response presents original ideas not already discussed, asks stimulating
questions, and further supports with evidence from assigned readings. Post is substantive
in both length (75–100 words) and depth of ideas presented.Readability of Postings5.4
(18%) – 6 (20%)Initial and response posts are clear and coherent. Few if any (less than 2)
writing errors are made. Student writes with exemplary grammar, sentence structure, and
punctuation to convey their message.