A 52-Year-Old Woman Comes to the Office for a Checkup

question 111

Multiple Choice

A 52-year-old woman comes to the office for a checkup.  Her medical problems include hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.  The patient has a long-standing relationship with her primary care physician, who has treated her children as well.  During the examination, she confides that she has been "down" since her youngest child left for college 2 months ago.  The patient is worried about her daughter being away from home for the first time and whether she will be successful at school.  At work, the patient occasionally has lapses of concentration when worrying about whether her daughter is okay, but it has not affected her productivity.  She says, "I still enjoy going out with my husband but all we do is talk about our kids."  The patient has occasional insomnia and tension headaches but notes that these are nothing new.  Physical examination is normal.  Which of the following is the most likely explanation for this patient's condition?

• A)Adjustment disorder with depressed mood
• B)Generalized anxiety disorder
• C)Major depressive disorder
• D)Normal sadness
• E)Persistent depressive disorder

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Definitions:

Discounted

Refers to the process of determining the present value of a future amount of money or stream of payments, considering a specific interest rate.

Registered Retirement Savings Plan

A government-approved program in Canada that enables residents to save for retirement on a tax-deferred basis.

Fixed Monthly Payments

Regular, unchanging payments made each month for a period of time, often used in loans and lease agreements.

Promissory Note

An investment vehicle that features a concrete promise by one entity to pay a definitive money amount to another, either upon solicitation or on a specified date.