Investigating the impact of anhedonia on academic performance: A case report

Abstract - This case report represents a case of anhedonia in a university student (Laila) (a sixth-year medical school student at Al-Sham Private University, currently 23 years old, born in 2000). - Laila suffered from a significant loss of interest and pleasure in various aspects of her life, which led to academic, emotional, and social difficulties. - This study explores the impact of anhedonia on Laila's academic performance using the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale, where symptoms of anhedonia were evaluated along with semi-regulated interviews conducted every two weeks, and to monitor her academic performance we relied on her GPA and class attendance rate. - The initial interview focused on the onset of anhedonia and its academic consequences, while the follow-up interview aimed to track progress and evaluate Laila's social relationships. Our results indicated a significant decrease in Laila’s ability to experience pleasure, accompanied by a noticeable decrease in her academic performance. Intervention procedures included counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions, and behavioral activation techniques that were implemented by a specialized therapist, Dr. Ghina Najati. Laila's symptoms gradually improved, leading to positive changes in her engagement, thinking patterns, motivations, and overall well-being. - The results highlight the usefulness of the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale in providing an accurate understanding of the impact of anhedonia and guiding interventions specifically designed to support affected students.