Psychiatric Evaluation Essay

I’ve always been passionate about understanding others; stepping into their shoes and seeing, thinking, and appreciating the lives they live. I think it is important to take that extra step and see things from a different point of view. It is the only way to achieve a true understanding. I believe in this philosophy so much so, that it’s one of the main reasons I have this blog; to give others a glimpse of a life with mental illness. I’ve been in treatment for 2 months and 26 days and I think it’s time for another peek into my brain.

Why do you believe you are a good candidate for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Argosy University?

Within this essay, I will reflect and critically analyse an OSCE which has increased my awareness, or challenged my understanding, in assessing the holistic needs of a service user (John), referred by his GP, whilst incorporating a care plan using the Care Programme Approach (CPA). By utilising this programme and other sources of current literature, I hope to demonstrate my knowledge and understanding in relation to this skill as well as identifying areas with scope for learning.

Nursing practice has revolutionized itself throughout the years. Today we realize the causes of current illnesses as complex and multifaceted (source). In past models, for instance the medical model, the approach was straightforward and neglected the patients active involvement in their care; the patient was viewed as the passive recipient and the doctor, an active agent that “fixed” their patients. ( source). New developed models since then, such as the biopsychosocial model, show us that care focuses on many factors. The model demonstrates understanding of how suffering, disease, and illness can be associated by many factors seen at the different levels in society and the medical sciences (source). Caring for each component is

"Men pray to the gods for health and they ignore that it is in their power to have it."

It not easy to determine how many people suffer from mental illness. This is due to the changing definitions of mental illness and problems classifying, diagnosing, and reporting mental disorders. There are social stigmas attached to mental illness, such as being labeled "crazy," being treated as a danger to others, and being denied jobs or health insurance coverage. These negative connotations keep many sufferers from seeking help, and many of those in treatment do not reveal it on surveys. Some patients do not realize that their symptoms are caused by mental disorders. Even though more is being learned about how the brain works a lot of information has still yet to be discovered, thus mental health professionals must continually reevaluate how mental illnesses are defined and diagnosed. The Surgeon General 's report estimated that roughly 20% of the United States population was affected by mental disorders and that 15% use some type of mental health service every year. Community surveys estimate about 30% of the adult population in the United States suffer from mental disorders.

There are so many different type of population that I can and would like to work with, but the group of clients I decided to work with are clients suffering from dual diagnosed. Clients that are suffering from both mental health issues and also have a substance dependency rather alcohol or drugs. I am still not sure on what age I want to work with yet. One thing I differently sure of is working with our veterans suffering from PTSD, anxiety, adjustment behavior and depression along with their dependency on alcohol or drugs abuse.

In Chapter 13 we learned about Psychological Disorders. Psychological disorders can’t always be seen in everyday life, but it’s something they have to deal with every day. Psychologists have tried many different approaches to aid in a various amount of disorders and have tried to figure out the causes of them.

Theories play an important role in how a counselor serves their clients. Theories provide counselors with a foundation on which to build their counseling style. “Theories ground us as professional counselors. They provide a means to understand what we are doing, how we are serving clients, and how to explain counseling to clients” (Erford, 2010). Counselors are responsible for being aware of different theories in order to apply them appropriately within their practice. Established and new theories play an important and constant role in mental health counseling. Established theories in mental health counseling are based on “empirical or scientific foundations” (American Counseling Association, 2005). The best way to gain the most

Personality disorders are very defined and recognized in today’s society. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association provides common language and standards classifying mental disorders. The DSM is used by many people in varying disciplines in the USA as well as many other countries. In times past, people with disorders may have been outcast from a community or even persecuted. However, in our current culture the pendulum has swung in the other direction. It almost seems that there is a trend to explain all behavior by a mental disorder. This results in needing to disprove that certain people are not displaying a disorder, rather acting within a normal human emotion or

Table 1 displays the proposed criteria for schizophrenia for DSM-V. As new research is conducted and new advancements are made the definition and criteria for schizophrenia develope. There are changes in the criteria for schizophrenia from DSM-IV to DSM-V. For criterion A, at least one of the two characteristic symptoms must include delusions, hallucinations and/or disorganized speech. For criterion F, 'other communication disorder of childhood onset ' was added to the section. In addition to the criterion changes, in the DSM-V there was the elimination of the classic subtypes of schizophrenia, a clarification of the longitudinal and

One in every seventeen people in America suffers from a mental disorder. These disorders inhibit the afflicted person from functioning properly and coping normally with daily life. Many afflicted with a psychological disorder do not exhibit obvious symptoms, as medical advancements have made it possible for these disorders to be suppressed or even nonexistent. Today, however, harsh stigmas exist that unfairly categorize those with a mental illness as violent, unfriendly, and abnormal. The media and federal government are culprits in fabricating the unrealistic depictions of mental disability that define the portrayal of those who are mentally or psychologically disadvantaged.

In this case study, one day of care for a 28 year old, male patient on a low secure psychiatric unit will be examined and discussed. The main focus will be on implementation and evaluation of the nursing process. These areas will be covered under; physiological, psycho-sociological and pharmacological aspects of the patient’s care. Although, the case study is discussed using third person expression, the care discussed is what was implemented and evaluated by myself, a second year student nurse, under supervision from a qualified member of staff.

The purpose of the study was to follow-up the individuals with first-episode psychosis for a period of one year to assess their