The Risks of a Patient and the Risk Management while in the Clinical Area - Essay Example

Ms Jane is a 48-year-old woman who worked in Law Enforcement. She has just made an appointment with her psychiatrist for a medications consultation. Ms Jane has two suicide attempts by over-the-counter medications, one at age 15 and another at age 28. Her physically abusive stepfather's problems precipitated the first, and the second followed an excruciating divorce associated with a nasty lawsuit and financial strains. Both resulted in hospitalization and successful treatment with medication.

However, it is important to note that she stopped taking medications some years after her first hospitalization; Ms Jane has remained on medication since the time of her second suicide attempt. On straight questioning, she reported that both these attempts were serious and intended to die. Three years before this current incident, Ms Jane’s job required that she relocate to a different place far away from home, leaving behind supportive family and friends. She had been isolated since moving and felt lonely but had remained on medications that she received from her internist.

Despite taking medications, she began experiencing more symptoms of depression and hopelessness. The only hope was involvement in a new relationship in the new location, and after 1 year, she and her boyfriend started living together. However, their relationship began to deteriorate. At the same time, Ms Jane’s mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Because of the distance and job responsibilities, Ms Jane could not see her mother as much as necessary and as she would have liked, and she felt increasingly guilty about this.

A neighbour and colleague used to keep a tab on her, and they paid mutual visits to each other.Before contacting the present psychiatrist, Ms Jane had begun seeing a psychotherapist. Ms Jane and her therapist had a good therapeutic alliance and relationship. Both of them thought that her medications needed to be adjusted. The therapist referred Ms Jane to the present psychiatrist. In the week before the scheduled consultation, Ms Jane and her boyfriend began talking about separating.