Mental Health and Mental Illness - Assignment Example

PART B Review the treatment plan using the following prompts: Assessment process Document the assessment framework that is used in the mental health facility. The assessment framework used in the mental health facility started with the history taking. The history taking process followed the standards as set by Chapter 14 of the text. The mental status (MSE) examination followed the history-taking process. It was carried out by including the different observations of the nurse during the history-taking process. The MSE was carried out using semi-structured questions. A diagnostic assessment followed the MSE which was based on the patient history and the MSE. A working diagnosis was then formulated based on the diagnostic assessment. According to your text more specialised assessments follow on from the initial assessment. What specialised assessments are indicated for this treatment plan you are reviewing? For the treatment plan that I am reviewing, specialised assessments involved the psychodynamic approach in relation to the biopyschosocial approach. Through the psychodynamic approach, the patient’s past experiences and how these experiences affected his current state of mind were determined. This approach considered precipitating factors in people’s lives and how these factors inspire or affect recurrent themes in a person’s life. The social approach is also part of the special assessment utilized in this treatment plan. It includes the assessment of problems in social role functioning, environmental issues, and problems in family and social relations. Through such assessment, the position and impact of the person in the environment, within the family, and the community was assessed, including the stressors which affect the patient’s life. How comprehensive has the assessment process been? The assessment process has been very comprehensive because it was able to comprehensively determine the patient’s physical and mental state through the processes applied. It was also able to touch on all aspects of the patient’s life – from his family, his history, his work life, social life, and general emotional state. The assessment process was also comprehensive because it allowed the patient to freely express his opinions and his emotions in relation to his mental state. Mental health is largely a personal matter. A person’s mental state cannot be fully deduced from the symptoms he manifests physically (Barry & Farmer, 2002). The best gauge for mental state is still very much on what a patient relays to the mental health professionals, not the observed symptoms. Moreover, by reviewing the patient’s history and experiences, a better understanding of the patient’s current manifestations was made possible. Summarise the treatment planning process The treatment planning process involved a minimally restrictive environment. It also involved a low dose medication. The treatment approach focused on the enjoyment of the client and the families and on developing awareness about the illness and the different phases of illness. The phases of illness include: acute, recovery/treatment and the future. The treatment process also included means to reduce the relapse and to minimize the risk of suicide. The assessment process identified the different problems of the patient. In this case, it included “demons” which commanded him to hurt himself and others and to behave in a sexually inappropriate way. Another problem identified included depression and panic attacks. After the problems were identified, the goals for each problem were then set forth. As for the first problem, the goal was to reduce and avoid hallucinations. In order to achieve such goal, interventions included the use of antipsychotics; encouraging patient to discuss his feelings towards the mental health professionals; and encouraging the patient to approach the staff if he experiences AH. In order to deal with the patient’s depression, the goal set was to improve the patient’s mood and reduce panic attacks. The interventions included the use of medications when necessary; maintaining a safe environment; and encouraging the patient to express his thoughts and to participate in group activities. The treatment process ended with the discharge plan which included the goal of ensuring the smooth transition of the patient from hospital to the community. In order to achieve such goal, interventions included liaising with the treatment family and others who were involved with patient care. Time frame of interventions (include: key stakeholders involved, person responsible etc) The treatment plan will be implemented for atleast three months with antipsychotics being administered first to the patient, followed by a biopsychosocial approach to therapy. The treatment plan shall be implemented in the course of weekly or twice weekly sessions, interspersed with social activities for the patient. Stakeholders involved in this treatment process would include the attending psychiatrist, his nurse, and other mental health professionals. The patient’s family and close friends are also stakeholders in this treatment plan. They would help make the transition of the patient to the community smooth and successful. More importantly, their participation and coordination would help prevent relapse. Evaluation of the identified goals (include tools used to measure outcomes) The identified goals are tasks which are important in the treatment process. They help specify the tasks which have to be accomplished before a favourable patient outcome can be reached. The identified goals for the patient having hallucinations are clear enough. However, they do not offer a specific time frame for its achievement. It is necessary to include the time frame in the goals in order to determine the progress of the treatment plan. The quality of life measure was used to assess the impact of the treatment on the patient. This tool was able to measure the patient’s mental and physical well-being, in terms of how he relates with other people and his involvement in social and civic activities. The quality of life measure was also able to measure the extent to which the patient was able to achieve and gain self-actualization in his life. Indicators in this case include work, finances, personal safety, and health issues. Such measure was appropriate for this treatment plan because it was able to assess the quality of the patient’s life and the effectiveness of such interventions in the patient’s life. PART B 2. Reflections Reflection on mental illness and mental health placements before placement What are you thinking about going on a mental health placement/ In going on a mental health placement, I am thinking about my own mental and psychological health. In the process of assessing and applying the different nursing interventions to the mental health patient, I am bound to face similar incidents which would trigger a personal emotional trauma or pain I may not have consciously acknowledged. I am also worried about whether or not I am sufficiently equipped with the knowledge and skills to help patients under mental health care Have any of you family/friends commented positively or negatively on you going on a mental health placement? Most of my family members have commented positively about my going on a mental health placement. They are concerned about my safety in the facility, but they also know that I am eager to experience actual mental health practice. And so they are very much supportive of my placement. Some of my friends also express the same concerns, but in general, their comments have been positive. What personal goals do you have for mental health placement? (Write them into your competency tool) I need to develop therapeutic skills in mental health nursing. These skills would involve an assessment of the different therapeutic nursing skills which would be applicable to each type of mental health patient. Different mental health patients display varying symptoms and therapeutic processes which may work well for one patient, but not at all for others. By mastering several mental health processes, I can be an efficient mental health nurse and I can acquire more skills which would help me and the patient achieve favourable outcomes. Reflections on mental health whilst on placement While on clinical placement what is your view of mental health nursing? While on clinical placement, I view mental health nursing to be a collaborative process between the nurse and the other mental health professionals. I believe that with the collaboration of other mental health professionals, it is possible to achieve favourable patient outcomes. Mental health nursing is also about teaching the patient to cope with personal issues and stress. I also perceive mental health nursing to be a continuing process. Since nurses are with the patients more than any other mental health provider, they can offer the best perspective for other mental health professionals to consider. Consequently, as a nurse in the clinical placement, my responsibility is to retrieve as much accurate data as possible from my patients. Does the work affect you personally? How are managing any issues that arise for you? The work does not affect me personally. Admittedly, there are times in reading about a patient’s history that I find myself being emotionally affected by the emotional and physical trauma that they have gone through. However, I also try to remind myself that I would not be effective as a nurse if I let my patient’s issues affect me personally. I manage the issues which arise by always remembering my training and the skills that I have acquired throughout my years in the academe. I also manage issues by consulting with other mental health professionals. Through my collaboration with other health professionals, we usually achieve better patient outcomes. What do you want to learn more about while on clinical placement? While on clinical placement, I want to learn more about how to establish a trusting relationship with the patient. Mental health patients are likely to be wary of new people or new staff in the health facility. They are likely to put up mental walls between themselves and their mental health provider. And yet, it is by getting through these walls that a favourable patient outcome can be achieved. It is therefore important for me to develop effective communication skills, like that of listening, questioning, empathizing, repeating, and respecting. Reflection in mental health after placement Reflect on your experiences in the mental health setting. What have you learnt? In my experiences in the mental health setting, I have learned that actual practice is very much different from the academic and theoretical setting. I found out that even as I believe I am equipped with sufficient theoretical knowledge, I still found my skills inadequate in the course of my placement. I also found out that with adequate exposure, I would be able to improve these skills – and gain more in order to help achieve favourable patient outcomes. I also learned that patients do not like taking their psychiatric medicines because of the side-effects these bring to them. They often resort to different techniques in order to avoid taking said medications. In the process, I have learned to be more observant of my patients and to check thoroughly that they indeed have taken their medications. Mental health in a social/cultural context Find a piece of current commentary on mental health or mental illness. Describe your piece. Explain why you have found it interesting. A commentary in the Canadian Mental Health Association discussed that mental illnesses can take on different manifestations. The article also discussed that mental disorders are very much misunderstood by the general public. It also discusses how people fear what they do not understand; and this misunderstanding of mental illnesses does not seem to diminish the stigma attributed to mentally ill individuals. And this stigma is often more dangerous than the effects of the disease itself. There are many myths about mental illnesses. These myths include the: that people with mental illnesses are violent and dangerous; that they are less intelligent or have poor IQ; that their illness is a personal weakness; and that mental illness is a single and rare disorder (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2010). These myths and stereotypes cloud people’s judgment and understanding of mental illnesses and of mentally ill individuals. I found this piece interesting because I have noticed how preconceived notions affect the way people relate to mentally ill individuals. The way people relate to the rest of society is often dictated by the way people see them. When mentally ill people are perceived as violent -- their actions -- even if not violent are labelled as such. This piece interests me because it highlights important truths that people would not readily admit about themselves. Reference Barry, P. & Farmer, S. (2002) Mental health & mental illness. Pennsylvania: Lippincott & Williams Canadian Mental Health Association (2010). Understanding Mental Illness. Retrieved 12 September 2010 from http://www.cmha.ca/bins/content_page.asp?cid=3 Meadows, G. Singh, B. Grigg, M. (2007). 2nd ed. Mental Health in Australia. Oxford University Press, Sydney Thomas, B. & Cutting, P. (2002) Stuart and Sundeens mental health nursing: principles and practice. Sydney: Elsevier Health Sciences Read More