DOI: https://doi.org/10.53350/pjmhs22163834 CASE STUDY 834 P J M H S Vol. 16, No. 03, MAR 2022 Psychological Assessment with Objective and Projective Techniques along with Self-Report: A Case Study of Young Widow with Major Depressive Disorder SAIMA KHAN 1* , MARIA RAFIQUE 2 , SOBIA IKRAM 3 1 Department of Professional Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Bahria University Islamabad Campus 2,3 Lecturer, Department of Psychology, Riphah International University, Islamabad *Corresponding author: Saima Khan, Email: saimagul.khattak@yahoo.com ABSTRACT The study investigated the psychological concerns of a young widow, who lost her husband just at the age of 21 and examined how psychotherapeutic techniques helped her overcome them in the present case study. Using a structured clinical interview and a complete report, we documented the impact of this significant loss on both temperament and emotional wellbeing. Including the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), The Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM), Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), Rotter’s Incomplete Sentence Blank (RISB), Bender Gestalt Test (BGT), and Human Figure Drawing Test (HFD). These studies were crucial in assessing a diagnosis as well as a treatment strategy. The girl had a significant depressive episode and met all the diagnostic criteria. In similar circumstances, this mixture of psychological testing could help establish an accurate diagnosis and comprehend the behavioral and psychological consequences of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The study also indicated that Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment option for people suffering from Major Depressive Disorder. Keywords: objective and projective techniques, cognitive behavior therapy, major depressive disorder INTRODUCTION Depression is a prevalent form of mental illness. It is believed that 5.0 percent of adults in the world suffer from depression. Depression is a key cause of illness and death and contributes significantly to the global illness burden. Women are more likely than men to suffer from depression. Suicide can be caused by depression. Mild, moderate, and severe depression can all be effectively treated. Depression is a prevalent condition that impacts 3.8 percent of the population around the world, with 5 percent of adults and 5.7 percent of adults over 60 years old suffering from it. Around 280 million people worldwide suffer from depression. Depression is distinct from normal mood swings and short- term emotional responses to ordinary difficulties. Depression can be dangerous to one's health, especially if it is persistent and has a moderate or severe intensity. It can make the individual who is affected suffer severely and perform poorly at job, school, and in the family. Depression can lead to suicide in the worst-case scenario. Every year, around 1.5 million people die by suicide. Suicide is the fourth highest cause of death among those aged 15 to 29. A depressive episode lasts at least two weeks and is marked by a depressed mood (feeling miserable, irritated, or empty) or a lack of pleasure or decreased energy in daily life activities for the majority of the day, practically every day. Poor focus, thoughts of overwhelming guilt or poor of self-worth, pessimism about the future, thoughts of dying or suicide, insomnia, variations in food intake or appetite, and feeling particularly weary or low in energy are all possible symptoms of depression (WHO, 2021). The exact number of widows, their ages, and other SES aspects of their existence are unclear in many under developing nations. Widows make up a considerable share of all women almost everywhere, ranging from 7-6 percent of entire women population (UN Division for the Advancement of Women, 2000). Their percentage is, however, considerably greater in other developed regions and countries. Widowhood is generally experienced by elderly women in industrialized countries, but it also affects younger women in developing countries, many of whom are still raising children (Ibid). Girls in some areas become widows before they reach maturity. The loss of a spouse is second only to the death of a child in terms of terrible life occurrences (Bennett et al., 2005). When either a woman or a man loses their marriage, the disorganization and trauma that follows tend to be stronger in women than in men (Fasoranti et al., 2007). CASE STUDY Ms. Rehana Ghulam Rasool is a 21-year-old widow who lives with her in-laws in a joint family system in a government accommodation, allotted to her brother-in-law, was brought to the hospital by her mother-in-law. She has a 13-month-old son. After family member found her to be losing control over her thoughts and unusual behaviors, she was referred by her consultant psychiatrist for a thorough examination with psychological test. These behaviors included insomnia, loss of appetite, restlessness, hopelessness, wish to die, decreased activity in daily life events, and frequent crying spells. She reported that she doesn’t wish to live anymore as she has lost her purpose of life. Ahe also mentioned that she likes nothing around her. Informant reported that she doesn’t give any attention to the baby, nor she cleans, or dresses up him. Her personal hygiene was compromised. She was regular in her religious chores but now she doesn’t want to pray. Ms. Rehana was born as normal delivery in a lower middle- class family. She has two more sisters younger than her. Father is a security guard and mother is a house wife. They were living in a two-bedroom small single-story home of a dhobi colony in G-6/2 Islamabad, in which only basic life necessities were provided. They basically belonged to Lahore. She was an average student and failed twice in metric board exams. Client reported herself to be a very social person and made a lot of friends in the school. She fell in love with her husband(late) when she was in class 10, her age was 18 at that time. She was deeply and emotionally connected with him to the extend that they had elicit relationships. The boy sent his parents with a proposal to marry her but due to religious concerns Rehana parents refused it, as they were Sunni Muslims while boy was a Shia Muslim. This led her to give up on her family and go for court marriage in the age of 19. This act made her parents disown her although her in-laws accepted her, and they were always very kind and nice to her. She had very closed bond with her husband and their marital relationship was significantly very strong. After a year of marriage, they were blessed with a baby boy. She gave this good news to her mother therefore her father allowed his family to visit her and take some gifts along, though he himself didn’t want to see her. Her husband was fond of making Tik Tok videos and was always eager to have more follower on Tik Tok. For the purpose he used to make adventurous clips. This time he had a loaded gun with him, and he mistakenly shot himself in the head while recording and died on the spot. This huge loss disturbed the whole family and manifested negative impact of the personality of the client. Symptoms started occurring soon after the death of her husband but were going severe therefore the family got worried about her mental and physical health and so is the baby. Mother-in-law reported that she lost weight for about 4 kilograms in a few weeks and still doesn’t crave for food. Her husband was working as a General Relationship