Assignment: Assessing,
Diagnosing, and Treating Adults With Mood Disorders
It is important for the PMHNP to have a
comprehensive understanding of mood disorders in order to assess and accurately
formulate a diagnosis and treatment plan for patients presenting with these
disorders. Mood disorders may be diagnosed when a patient’s emotional state
meets the diagnostic criteria for severity, functional impact, and length of
time. Those with a mood disorder may find that their emotions interfere with
work, relationships, or other parts of their lives that impact daily
functioning. Mood disorders may also lead to substance abuse or suicidal
thoughts or behaviors, and although they are not likely to go away on their
own, they can be managed with an effective treatment plan and understanding of
how to manage symptoms.
In this Assignment
you will assess, diagnose, and devise a treatment plan for a patient in a case
study who is presenting with a mood disorder.
To Prepare
Review this week’s Learning
Resources. Consider the insights they provide about assessing, diagnosing,
and treating mood disorders.
Review the Focused SOAP Note
template, which you will use to complete this Assignment. There is also a
Focused SOAP Note Exemplar provided as a guide for Assignment expectations.
Review the video, Case
Study: Petunia Park. You will use this case as the basis of this
Assignment. In this video, a Walden faculty member is assessing a mock
patient. The patient will be represented onscreen as an avatar.
Consider what history would
be necessary to collect from this patient.
Consider what interview
questions you would need to ask this patient.
Consider patient diagnostics
missing from the video:
Provider
Review outside of interview:
Temp 98.2
Pulse 90 Respiration 18
B/P 138/88
Laboratory Data
Available: Urine drug and alcohol screen negative. CBC within normal
ranges, CMP within normal ranges. Lipid panel within normal ranges. Prolactin
Level 8; TSH 6.3 (H)
The Assignment
Develop a Focused
SOAP Note, including your differential diagnosis and critical-thinking process
to formulate a primary diagnosis. Incorporate the following into your responses
in the template:
Subjective: What details did the patient
provide regarding their chief complaint and symptomatology to derive your
differential diagnosis? What is the duration and severity of their
symptoms? How are their symptoms impacting their functioning in
life?
Objective: What observations did you
make during the psychiatric assessment?
Assessment: Discuss the patient’s
mental status examination results. What were your differential diagnoses?
Provide a minimum of three possible diagnoses with supporting evidence,
listed in order from highest to lowest priority. Compare the DSM-5 diagnostic
criteria for each differential diagnosis and explain what DSM-5 criteria
rules out the differential diagnosis to find an accurate diagnosis.
Explain the critical-thinking process that led you to the primary
diagnosis you selected. Include pertinent positives and pertinent
negatives for the specific patient case.
Plan: What is your plan for
psychotherapy? What is your plan for treatment and management, including
alternative therapies? Include pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic
treatments, alternative therapies, and follow-up parameters as well as a
rationale for this treatment and management plan. Also incorporate
one health promotion activity and one patient education strategy.
Reflection notes: What would you do
differently with this client if you could conduct the session
again? Discuss what your next intervention would be if you were able
to follow up with this patient. Also include in your reflection a
discussion related to legal/ethical considerations (demonstrate critical
thinking beyond confidentiality and consent for treatment!), health
promotion, and disease prevention that takes into consideration patient
factors (such as age, ethnic group, etc.), PMH, and other risk factors
(e.g., socioeconomic, cultural background, etc.).
See below LINK VIDEO CASE STUDY (SEE TRANSCRIPT ATTACHED)
https://cdn-media.waldenu.edu/2dett4d/managed/WAL/NRNP/6665/04/WAL_NRNP6665_04_A_EN.pdf
