Case 1 - The Story of Maggie

Maggie is a 22 year old lady who has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and severe mental retardation. Over her life, she has made great improvements in her ability to communicate and understand the world around her. She was very social as a child and young adolescent. Her cognitive and social growth, however, stalled in early adulthood. She began having angry outbursts, violent nightmares, and appeared to be fearful of things that did not bother her in the past. Her willingness to socialize also reduced. Her mother later found out that a family member sexually assaulted her. She pressed charges and ensured that Maggie would never interact with him again. Maggie’s behaviors did not improved and, after the ceiling in her bedroom fell while she was sleeping, they worsened. It was difficult to get Maggie to go anywhere without her mother. She would have bouts of crying and throwing “tantrums”. She refused to sleep in her bedroom, even after repairs were made to the ceiling. Maggie’s mother took her to a psychologist who diagnosed her with PTSD in relation to the sexual assault and falling ceiling. She is now takes Zoloft, an SSRI. Her behaviors are slowly improving.

Does she meet the criteria for PTSD? Can you tell from this brief case study? If not, what is missing?