Indigenous Mental Health - Module 07 - Rose Part 03

case study  

Rose met her husband and they had six children together.  Two of the children, a boy and a girl died in infancy.  One son was killed in a fight and another son is in prison for murder.  One daughter, Doris, was murdered by her husband 12 years ago.  Rose’s only surviving daughter, Melanie, lives with her family in her home community and her daughter Jacinta, moved to town to be close to her grandmother.  Rose tells you that her husband had a problem with alcohol and he died when hit by a motor vehicle on a visit to a nearby community many years ago.

Rose denies any substance use herself and says that she has been thinking about Doris frequently over the last five years.  Rose tells you that she was very close to Doris adding, “She was my good one” and that she has been thinking about Doris more and more frequently over the last few years.  She comments that during the day, she sees images of Doris lying dying on the ground calling out to her and she feels distressed.  She also has dreams of Doris calling out to her at night and wakes up feeling frightened.