Mental Illness Case of Nahn Thai Dao - Essay Example

Nahn Thai Dao 1. Formulation and Risk Assessment Nahn Thai Dao is among the millions of Vietnamese refugees who were displaced by the war in Vietnam. Though she and her family finally sought refuge in Geraldton, it can be noted that she went through a psychologically stressful experience. As such, this paper seeks to identify and discuss the risk factors for this client in developing a mental illness. It starts by highlighting the timeline, formulation and stress vulnerability forms and will end by recommending the client to at least two agencies which can deal with her situation. Time Line Date Significant events Mental health issues 1970s Horrific experience of war None 1975 Imprisoned and lost everything Traumatised by the frightening situation of prisoners dying 1976 Spent months on a dangerously overcrowded boat where many people died. Psychologically stressed by the traumatising situation 1980 Travelled by plane to Perth Mentally stressed 1981 Moved to Geraldton Stressed though safe Early 2000- present Road to recovery, happy ending as successful vegetable farmer in Geraldton Relieved though she sometimes feel the pain for those in prison in Vietnam. Baumann (1998) posits to the effect that a stressor refers to reported life events such as interpersonal difficulties which are important in establishing the mental health status of a person. In this particular scenario, the main stressors to Nahn include the poor living and health conditions in prison as well as refugee camp in Galang. She witnessed thousands of people dying as a result of the poor living conditions they were exposed to and this stressed her. She was also stressed by the aspect of missing home. Such kind of experience leads to trauma and this destabilizes the normal function of the mind. Formulation form Client: Nahn Thai Dao Date October, 17 2011 Predisposing Factors: Socio-psychological and economic vulnerability Nahn experienced a traumatising war experience in Vietnam which negatively impacted on her in different ways as shown below. Psychological Vulnerability Traumatised by the death of inmates Stressed by poor living and health conditions Losing her priced processions in Vietnam. Social Vulnerability - poverty as a result of displacement by war as well as loss of shelter. Precipitating Factors: The war situation significantly contributed to the mental situation of Nahn given that it led to her displacement and the family. Here dire situation was exacerbated by imprisonment which immensely contributed to the stress she experienced. Perpetuating Factors: Nostalgia- She terribly missed home and could empathise with her colleagues who were languishing in prison as a result of the impacts of war on their social life. Her road to recovery was influenced by the newly found vegetable farming carrier in Geraldton. The information highlighted in the table above documents the factors which contributed to the stress that was experienced by Nahn from the time she and her family were displaced by war until the present time when she is now into vegetable farming. The following section of this paper attempts to complete the stress vulnerability bucket form. Stress vulnerability bucket Happy ending though she can relate with the pain for those in detention Road to recovery New career as a vegetable farmer though depressed by the pain she went through Moved to Perth en route to Geraldton Moved to a refugee camp which is also stressing. Traumatised by the bad living conditions in prison Imprisoned Displaced from her home Horrific war experience 2. Risk History for Nahn Nahn has a history of psychological suffering as a result of various factors such as war. This war severely affected her social life since she was displaced from her home together with her family. As a result, they were left in the cold since they lost all their processions. Her imprisonment further aggravated the already dire situation. She underwent inhuman conditions of living where she witnessed the miserable death of thousands of prisoners. The client also has a history of thinking too much about her home as well as other colleagues back in Vietnam. All these contributed to the stressful events she experienced in her life. Current Risk Situation Nahn appears very well and she is happy about the special treatment given to the Vietnamese refugees in Australia. She is happy that her family has managed to acquire quality education and they are doing good jobs. She is also happy that she is doing well in her vegetable farming career. It can be noted that her life has gone through a lot of positive changes since she moved to Australia. Though everything seems to be fine for Ahn, it can be noted that she is at times stressed by the thought of her fellow country colleagues languishing in prison. There is still need for her to completely overcome the stress component in her life. Current Problem List as Identified by Client Thoughts -She thinks that she is very lucky to be living given the trials and tribulations she went through. -She often think about others in detention Feelings -She is happy to be a successful farmer in Australia. -She feels great to live with her family Behaviour -She socialises with her neighbours in Geraldton. -likes farming so much such that she devotes most of her time to it. Physiology -She is physically fit and active. -she makes an effort to be in constant touch with others. Risk Factors by Priority 1. Mental stress 2. Anxiety and anticipation 3. Depression 4. Nostalgia From the risk factors mentioned above, mental stress as well as anxiety and anticipation are given priority as going to be explained below. Stress can lead to autonomic overload which affects the proper functioning of the nervous system (Hambly & Muir, 2005). The mental state of the human body may not respond or function well as a result of excessive stress being experienced by the person. Such a mental disorder can lead to risks such as failure to respond in an appropriate way to different situations which can pose a danger to life. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2007) posits to the effect that depression and anxiety will be the greatest contributors of mental illnesses among women by 2023. In some situations, stress can lead to other biological problems such as eating disorders. This in turn affects the human body physically and it can lead to different illnesses. As such, this client needs continual social rehabilitation since it seems that this stress component can degenerate into other problems. The other risk factor faced by Nahn is anxiety and depression. According to Jones and Hayward (2005), traumatic life experiences are the main factors that can lead to mental illness as a result of the fact that the affected person will be over thinking about a particular event to come. However, it may not be the case as anticipated by the individual and this can lead to the brain being affected by the state of affairs of the mind. 3. Referral Recommendation In order for Nahn to fully recover from the stress and anxiety which she experienced in her life, it is imperative for her to develop a positive identity which can enable her to focus on positive aspects of life. Nahn should accept reality and try to cope with the post traumatic situation she experienced in her life. Slade (2009) posits to the effect that there are many steps that can be taken in a bid to mitigate the effects of stress after a traumatic situation. Some of these include changing attitudes, feelings, values as well as goals in life. It is also important to spend considerable time with caring people such as members of the family. Development of new meaning to life is also very important in as much as overcoming stress is concerned. In the event that Nahn has just arrived in Australia, Geraldton, she can be recommended to visit the following agencies to get assistance for her situation. These are Geraldton Regional Hospital and St John of God Health Care. According to information obtained from its official website, Geraldton Regional Hospital is situated on the Geraldton Health Campus and it offers a network of community based services such as counselling and health services. It is the regional resource center for the WA Country Health Services and is used as a referral hospital in the region. Confidential treatment and management of patients with mental related problems are offered at this center. This center is comprised of experienced mental health nurses, occupational therapists as well as psychologists and these offer services such as mental health care in strict confidentiality. The health professionals working at this hospital are experienced such that they can deal with any kind of mental problem experienced by different clients. The health care professionals working at this hospital have experience in dealing with issues related to stress as well as anxiety and the also offer expert counselling services which can lead to quick recovery by a patient. The other place that Nahn can be referred to is St John of God Health Care. This is a not for profit organisation and it offers a wide range of services in health care including mental health for adults. People like Nahn who have experienced some traumatic incidences in their life can get professional mental health therapy as well as counselling services that can lead to their full recovery from the stress they would be experiencing. This center is also comprised of highly qualified health care professionals who can effectively deal with different aspects related to mental health care problems. On top of visiting these agencies discussed above, it will also be advisable for Nahn to continue having a positive identity as well as concentrating on her newly found vegetable farming profession. The rationale for referring Nahn to the agencies mentioned above The services offered are affordable since they are meant to cater for people from all social backgrounds regardless of their level of income. The agencies are readily accessible in Geralton and this entails that money is not wasted through travelling. All the clients are offered services in strict confidentiality. First class services are offered by these two agencies. There are comparatively many service providers in aspects related to mental health care in Perth Metropolitan than in Geraldton. In Perth, there are different players include private health care providers who charge certain amounts for the services they offer. These often target people with higher income levels. References Baumann, S.E. (1998). Psychiatry and primary health care. Cape Town, CT: JUTA & Co. Ltd. Gardiner, J. & Walker, K. (2010) ‘Compassionate listening: Managing psychological trauma in refuges.’ Australian Family Physician. Vol 39, No 4, April 2010. Government of Western Australia Health Department (2011). Consumer health services directory. Accessed at: http://www.health.wa.gov.au/services/category.cfm?Topic_ID=5 18 October 2011. Hambly, K. & Muir, A. (2005). Coping with a stressed nervous system. London. Sheldon Press. Heyward, P. & Jones, S. (2005). Coping with schizophrenia: A guide for patients, families and caregivers. London, Oneworld Publications. Kennedy, J. (2011). Seeking refuge in Geraldton. Overall, JE & Gorham DR (2007). The brief psychiatric rating scale. Rep 1962;10:799-812. Slade, M. (2009). 100 ways to support recovery: A guide for mental health professionals. Rethink recovery series: Volume 1. St John of God Health Care (2011). Welcome to St John of God Health Care. Accessed at: http://www.sjog.org.au/ 18 October 2011. WA Country Health Service, Midwest (2011). Geladton Regional Hospital. Accessed at: http://www.mmhr.org.au/Home.asp?documentid=596 18 October 2011. VicHealth (2011). Ethnic and race based discrimination as a determinant of mental health being. Read More