Week 9

Sierra is now 42 years of age and is raising two children. Sierra was able to find a counselor in her town who helped her to deal with her past, and Sierra felt strong enough to begin to date. She quickly met Tomas, and the two were married. Tomas had a budding career as an architect, and the two were able to live relatively comfortably. They talked about Sierra quitting her job, but she hasn't yet been able to do so. They hope that she will be able to leave in the next few years.

Sierra has found herself mostly satisfied with her life on most days. She hasn't had the bouts of depression that she had when she was younger, and she credits her doctor and her counselor with helping her to develop insight and to experience healing.

* What are the typical developmental milestones for middle adulthood? What is the time period for middle adulthood?

* According to current research and theory, is depression something that can be "cured?" Why or why not? To what extent are Sierra's children likely to suffer from depression?

Week 8

Sierra is now 32 years of age. She looks back at her life and credits her attendance at the Job Corps as a turning point in her life. She hadn't realized at the time how much she was experiencing pressure from her biological mother to return to Mexico. She and her mother have stayed in touch, but Sierra has been able to "become her own person."

Job Corps provided Sierra with an opportunity to learn how to be a retail sales manager, and she now supervises a shop in the local mall. She lives modestly and doesn't have much money left over at the end of the month. Still, she is happy enough, particularly given her bouts of depression earlier in her life. She started seeing a local psychiatrist a few years ago, and the doctor prescribed an anti-depressant medication for her. It helped her significantly, and she has just started to think about the possibility of having a family. Every time she brings it to mind, however, a deep fear arises from somewhere within her. She still can't imagine being with a man, and she knows that she still has deep wounds to heal.

* According to Erickson, what psychosocial stage did Sierra resolve effectively in order to establish her own sense of personhood? To what extent is such a resolution culturally appropriate in the United States? Is such a developmental milestone consistent with Mexican culture?

* What would you recommend for Sierra given her difficulties around intimate relationship? Is it likely that the psychiatrist would also provide psychotherapy? Why or why not?

* What is the time period for early adulthood? What are the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional changes that typically take place during this period?  

Week 7

Sierra is now 20 years of age. Her adoptive family has been wonderful to her, but she continues to struggle with fits of depression and bouts of loneliness. Two years ago, she reconnected with her biological mother after not seeing her for a few years. They both wept. In broken English, her mother explained to her how it happened that she lost Sierra.  Her mother tells her that she should go to school and "make something of herself" - after all, that's what her mother tried to do when she found her way to the U.S. She doesn't want Sierra to do what she did; although she is a relatively young woman, the years and the work on many plots of land have taken their toll. She has talked with Sierra about the two of them going back to Mexico. The U.S. is really all Sierra has ever known, and she is not thrilled about the possibility, but she has always been fond of this woman she now knows as her mother.

Sierra continues to live with her adoptive parents. She struggles to figure out what to do next, and her IEP diploma from high school hasn't helped her to find a steady job. She thinks that there isn't much possibility for her, that, after high school, she really didn't have a future. Sierra's adoptive mother wants her to go to a Job Corps program, thinking that it would help her to develop some direction in life. Sierra doesn't know. For now, sitting at home and getting out of bed in the morning is about all she can do.

* What is an IEP diploma?

* What is Job Corps? Who attends? What are the benefits?  Would Sierra be eligible to go?

* What might be helpful for Sierra at this point in terms of finding direction in her life? Do you think that depression figures into her lack of direction at this point?

DECISION POINT:

Does Sierra go to Mexico with her mother? If not, does she go to Job Corps? Why or why not?