The case study Needs Assessment report.
Student’s Name
University
Course
Professor
Date
1) Needs to be Met: (5 Marks)
- Identify ONE need currently met in Tom’s life.
Tom’s mother has a good and stable job that provides all their needs at the family level; therefore, physiological needs are met fully in tom’s life. In this context, we see Tom locking up the house and eats as much as he can; this means that there is a lot of food in the family.
- Explain using/referencing relevant theory why you think this need is met and why it is essential. – 250 words
Physiological Needs are mandatory in the upbringing of children, whether other factors are constant or not. A philosopher in psychology known as Maslow introduced a motivational theory that informs about the hierarchy of needs. Maslow’s theory is a model used to describe the essential requirements of a human’s life. According to the model’s order, the physiological Needs are arranged in a bottom-up approach whereby the bottom’s needs are essential than those at the top (Hale et al., 2019). For instance, health and food needs are met first before social demands are given attention.
| Self-actualization
(talents, abilities, creativity, and personal growth) ↑ Esteem needs (prestige and moods) ↑ Belongingness and affection (friendship, relationship, family) ↑ Security needs (employment, health cover, environment) ↑ Physiological needs (food, water, shelter, rest)
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The table below demonstrates Maslow’s model of needs;
Maslow explains his theoretical model in terms of deficiency needs and human needs. The bottom part of the hierarchy indicates deficiency needs that worsen if they are not met. For instance, the condition of a hungry person gets worse if they don’t eat. Therefore, physiological needs are achieved when people seek to fulfill the deficiency needs before going into personage needs (Hopper & Elizabeth, 2019). Relative to our case context of tom, Tom’s mother takes care of the deficiency needs or the so-called physiological needs at the family level. Tom develops a habit of comfort since all the necessities are provided. We see tom taking a lot of food, but his mother considers the situation due to teenage evolution.
Consequently, Tom’s mother is obliged to take care of all family provisions since tom is a kid of 15 years old. The law expects parents to take charge of all provisions and care to children until they are mature.
2) Needs Not Met: (5 Marks)
- Identify a ONE need that is not currently met in Tom’s life.
Tom’s mother takes the responsibility of taking care of her child by putting in the person-hours at her work. Duty makes tom’s mother stay away for days while tom waits alone in the house since his dad left. As a young teenager, tom is therefore deficient in affection need.
- Explain using/referencing relevant theory (different to that used above) why you think this need is not met and why it is essential. – 250 words
According to Murray, secondary Needs come just after immediate needs; secondary demands entail; affection, nurturing, independence, and achievement (Trylinska et al., 2017). By fact, the secondary necessities get complimented by the primary conditions; they are also essential for a growing person’s psychological well-being. In his psychogenic needs theory, Murray argues that affection needs are centered on the desire to love and feel loved. The interrelation between one and another creates a psychological bond that yields affection and friendship. Affection is a two-way concept with no age barrier since it may exist between parents and children or between a child and their agemates. On the other hand, affection deficiency is manifested in many ways, such as rejection, lack of interest in people, aggressiveness, and loneliness (Gonzalez-Cutre et al., 2019). Relative to Tom’s case scenario, affection deficiency is very well pronounced since he becomes very aggressive in school and gets involved in fights and abuse to bully others. At home, we find Tom staying alone when her mother is away for work; therefore, the need for affection is not served due to demanding issues such as parental separation and professional duty. Additionally, tom’s friends have withdrawn their relation with him since he shows signs of anger and poor academic prowess, unlike in the periods before.
3) Needs Assessment: (10 Marks)
- Describe ONE problem at play in the case study.
Tom’s father and mother’s separation indicates poor marital tolerance; Tom claims that his love for his father other than his mother might have caused the separation. Therefore, a deep analysis means that tom’s mother was angry with the father and relationship leading to the separation. Further, we see Tom angry with his father for the separation and absence since he was 13 years.
- Identify the main features/symptoms of the problem.
In the case context, we find Tom having a mixture of anger and sympathy for his father and mother, respectively. Tom’s parents’ separation yielded the situation at hand since Tom and tom’s father’s relationship can no longer suffice. Tom often wants to see his father and make bonds once more, even if he is angry. Consequently. Tom’s mother cannot allow his son to see his father anymore, yielding more Tom’s pain. Tom’s anger symptoms are apparent in his change of behavior and conduct; he locks himself in his room and rarely talks to anybody or comes out.
- Provide evidence from the case description to support the presence of this problem.
Firstly, Tom loses concentration in class; unlike the school years before, he would make his teachers and classmates proud of him. Further, Tom’s friends have withdrawn from him, showing that he has signs of social intolerance. Anger has no social connection; therefore, his friends isolate him since he brings out aggressive arguments whenever he talks to his classmates. Additionally, Tom is reported to be involved in two fights within the school compound. Fighting is a primary sign of anger and aggressive moods towards the existing social environment. Above it all, Tom is seen to raise his voice against the school counselor in his office and uttered words of inner anger that he is not cared for by anybody and he deserves to be dead.
- Provide reference(s) to relevant psychological theory/theorists to support your findings and to explore (not determine) possible causes of the problem. – 500 words
According to Freud’s theory of aggression, frustration is a contributory factor towards anger and aggressiveness. The level of inner frustration predetermines the occurrence of irritation within oneself (Ozcelik & Ogretir, 2017). Therefore, Freud’s theory argues that aggression is a reaction to internal frustration. Further, the aggression theory highlights that blocking one’s demands and wishes leads to the accumulation of or aggressive and anger force which later erupts and manifests in one’s behavior. Relative to our case context, Tom’s desire to be with his father and reconstruct the bonds that existed are turned down by his mother, thus yielding to a reaction of anger and aggression. Additionally, Tom is also frustrated by the withdrawal of friendship by his allies, thus making him more frustrated and gets involved in fights. The fact that tom is taken to the school counselor makes him angrier since he feels that someone is trying to solve his problem through polite and calm means, whereas his inner self is full of pressure and disruptions that require equal and matching energy.
4) Strategies and Treatments: (5 Marks)
Outline ONE possible strategy and treatment, and relevant evidence or theory, that you think is suitable for meeting Tom’s needs and those of his family.
Anger and aggression are mainly controlled through punishment and force, whereby the reactions from inner anger are reduced and controlled. However, scholars have argued that control of anger and aggression through discipline increases the chances of internal drive to find new ways of manifesting the problem (Gierczyk et al., 2017). According to the theory of mind, people with anger are always aware of how other people’s anger affects their social life but are unaware of how their anger and aggression affect other people (Ong et al., 2019). Further, the manifestation of anger is a way of driving in the urger for dominance and attention in one’s space or environment. Therefore, the ideal strategy of handling Tom’s case is by understanding the meaning of his anger and aggression. Firstly, tom threatens his schoolmates through physical fights and bullying; this shows that he seeks to control all arguments and activities around him through force. The most responsive treatment to forceful dominance is by guided interactions and contest games of physical characteristics.
Secondly, tom locks himself into his room and remains there for long periods; this means that he seeks to have personal independence while his mother ignores the situation and blames it on the teenage syndrome. Interestingly, Tom’s mother is unaware of nurturing concepts and psychological problems; therefore, she should seek parental counseling on the issue and react swiftly to manage her son through affection. A clear example emerges in the case study whereby Tom’s family’s situation is reflected in school and tom’s behavior. As a part of the recovery process, Tom’s father may be included in the plan to facilitate quick nurturing affection.
5) Contextual Supports: (5 Marks)
Consider what supports (e.g., governmental programs, NGOs, charitable organizations, etc.) are available in the community or nation (Ireland) to Tom and his family to implement the strategy and treatment outlined above.
Tusla is an independent state agency that operates under the Child and Family Agency Act of 2013. The agency deals with the care and protection of children whose parents are not available or looking after their kids. Apart from primary child care, Tusla is tasked with offering psychological support to the children under its welfare (Rooney et al., 2019). Further, the agency deals with child and family welfare through professional guidance and counseling. Interestingly, the agency also deals with domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence rescue support and mitigation. At the state level, Tusla can initiate and reverse the situation in tom’s family. Through family counseling, tom’s parents will be in a position to understand the repercussions caused by marital separation. Additionally, tom’s mother will substantiate the difference between psychological needs and teenage syndrome. As a matter of urgency, tom’s situation is reversible through Tusla’s child counseling and rehabilitation programs.
At the community level, Lenadoon Community Counselling Service (LCCS) is a free counseling facility that does not charge for therapy and coaching sessions (Hancock & Landon, 2020). The LCCS has qualified professionals who offer individual counseling and life coaching sessions to persons who have faced social or traumatic experiences. For face-to-face services, the facility is located in Stewartstown road, which is accessible by all routes. The LCCS facility is crucial in Tom’s recovery since it offers life coaching services at the individual level. From the experiences that tom has faced since he was 13 years to a point whereby he feels like he deserves to die, life coaching is a requisite intervention.
References
Gierczyk, M., Fullard, M., & Dobosz, D. (2017). Aggression from a Gender Perspective and the Development of a Moral Compass. Journal of Gender and Power, 8(2), 9-26. http://gender-power.amu.edu.pl/JGP_Vol_8_No_2.pdf#page=9
González-Cutre, D., Romero-Elías, M., Jiménez-Loaisa, A., Beltrán-Carrillo, V. J., & Hagger, M. S. (2019). Testing the need for novelty as a candidate need in basic psychological needs theory. Motivation and emotion, 1-20. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11031-019-09812-7.pdf
Hancock, L. E. (2020). Deliberative peacebuilding: agency and development in post-conflict practice. Peacebuilding, 8(2), 139-158. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21647259.2019.1591839?casa_token=ibFCeI5oxfgAAAAA%3Aj_k_5GMI6e6So8cE3dqC6TzctYvclqwdfwcMgkyxM-VcY6G9oB-qPO4HzPL3q-pH15WMAfHxAmCIHq4i
Hale, A. J., Ricotta, D. N., Freed, J., Smith, C. C., & Huang, G. C. (2019). Adapting Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as a framework for resident wellness. Teaching and learning in medicine, 31(1), 109-118. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10401334.2018.1456928?casa_token=s1V36pTK1UkAAAAA%3A4u5eI6wwdwZcGEediQY13iG1if0P6ZiHMhHxj7oHzTG-wUmFLTY5F1saPECCDdvFQJXgggEFiMP5vbYV
Hopper, E. (2019). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs explained. Viitattu, 12, 2019. http://www.christianworldmedia.com/client/docs/603_1585079540_17.pdf
ÖZÇELİK, A. D. Ö. (2017). EXPLANATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN AGGRESSION: FREUDIAN PSYCHOANALYTICAL ANALYSIS, FROMM’S NEO-FREUDIAN PERSPECTIVE AND BANDURA’S SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dr-Ayse-Ogretir-Ozcelik-2/publication/329698762_EXPLANATION_AND_UNDERSTANDING_OF_HUMAN_AGGRESSION_FREUDIAN_PSYCHOANALYTICAL_ANALYSIS_FROMM%27S_NEO-_FREUDIAN_PERSPECTIVE_AND_BANDURA%27S_SOCIAL_LEARNING_THEORY_International_Journal_of_Social_Science_and_/links/5c16020e4585157ac1c57b5c/EXPLANATION-AND-UNDERSTANDING-OF-HUMAN-AGGRESSION-FREUDIAN-PSYCHOANALYTICAL-ANALYSIS-FROMMS-NEO-FREUDIAN-PERSPECTIVE-AND-BANDURAS-SOCIAL-LEARNING-THEORY-International-Journal-of-Social-Science-and.pdf
Ong, D. C., Zaki, J., & Goodman, N. D. (2019). Computational models of emotion inference in the theory of mind: A review and roadmap. Topics in cognitive science, 11(2), 338-357. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/tops.12371
Rooney, C., & Canavan, J. (2019). Exploring ethnic data collection for the Child and Family Agency. https://aran.library.nuigalway.ie/bitstream/handle/10379/15878/Ethnic-Data-Final-Report-2_230819.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Trylińska-Tekielska, E., Stachowicz, R. P., & Zmuda, A. M. PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS (HA MURRAY) AS PREDICTORS OF SPECIFIC BEHAVIORS (CHOICES OF A PARTICULAR TYPE OF TEACHING PROFILE OR A SPECIFIC FIELD OF STUDY). In The Book of Articles National Scientific Conference „Nauka Okiem Młodego Naukowca” (p. 76). http://promovendi.pl/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/The-Book-of-Articles-Nauka-Okiem-Młodego-Naukowca-ISBN-978-83-950109-2-7.pdf#page=76