Roommate drinking alone after a breakup
- Kind
- Ethical dilemma
Prompt
For the past two months, your roommate has been drinking alone most nights, and she has missed three shifts at her job. When you mentioned it once, she laughed and said it is just how she unwinds since her breakup. This evening, her parents, whom you know well, text you to ask how she is really doing. What would you say to them?
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After you practice: what this question tests and how to approach it
What this question tests
- Ethical reasoning
- Empathy and compassion
- Communication
How to approach this question
This panel interview question tests how you'd handle worry about a friend's drinking and mental health when her parents ask you directly and she hasn't given you permission to share. Name the competing duties: loyalty and privacy toward your roommate, honesty toward parents you know well, and concern for her wellbeing. Think aloud about what you actually know, which is a change in her behavior and three missed shifts, and avoid labeling her or guessing at causes. Consider options such as an honest but limited reply to her parents, a second and more serious conversation with her first, or encouraging her to talk to her parents herself. Explain how you'd weigh her privacy against the risk that she's struggling more than she shows. Then say clearly what you'd text back and what you'd do next with her.
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