Applied Psychology in Context - Case Study Example

Applied Psychology in Context Student’s Name: Institution: Date: Case Study 1 Lifespan Development Lifespan development pertains to changes related to age occurring from birth, throughout an individual’s life, and old age. Working with older adults is a complex process because it relates to a combined complexity of age and physical related issues. However, clinical psychology is a field which is centered on the diagnosis and the treatment of behavioural, emotional, and mental disorders (Rosowsky, Abrams, & Zweig, 2013). Most of the common disorders include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, learning disabilities, and substance abuse related problems. Lifespan development is significant since clinical psychologists are persuaded to work with elderly people within a scope of proficiency. The objective of this paper is to conduct an assessment of Mr. Jones who is a victim of psychological and physical distress. Notably, the patient has undergone anguish which has adversely affected his lifespan development. Background of Case Study Mr. Jones has been a widower for the last years and has been going through physical and psychological pain. Nevertheless, the patient is quite resilient because despite his ailing condition, Mr. Jones exhibits a lively personality. Additionally, the client is quite optimistic even though his memory is deteriorating and appearance is shriveling. Sadly, however, the client does not have contact with immediate family members since the closest member is his daughter who lives in Spain. Consequently, the patient does not have adequate support to aid in his prospective treatment plan. Furthermore, his recent diagnosis with a chest infection makes dealing with the client more difficult since he needs constant monitoring and immediate source of assistance. During the client’s last visit, he was low in mood which reflects his deteriorating physical health. Multi-Disciplinary Working Mr. Jones’ condition requires multidisciplinary working because the individual has various issues which he is dealing with. In fact, the client is suffering from both psychological and physical pain. These two areas which characterize the patient’s symptoms are separate but interconnected. From a psychological point of view, lifespan development is a critical issue to address in reference to the patient. Mr. Jones has had a straightforward life before the death of his wife 10 years ago. However, the patient’s late life crisis has been the major problem in his life. Following the death of his wife, Mr. Jones has been living alone and it seems the situation is affecting his psychological wellbeing. During our last meeting, it was apparent that the patient is exhibiting significant memory loss. The cause of the memory loss is questionable since it can emanate from both psychological and physical dysfunction (Jones & Miesen, 2014). Subsequently, multi-disciplinary working is essential to prescribing Mr. Jones with the most effective treatment strategy. Apart from the psychological pain, Mr. Jones’ chest infection indicates that he is suffering from a problem in his heart or lung. It appears that, the condition is responsible for the memory lapse the patient has steadily exhibited according to the general practitioner and the results from the last psychological diagnosis. The chest pain the patient has been experiencing does not seem to bother the patient as much because there are no other significant physical symptoms listed from the report by the general practitioner. However, the patient’s increased weight loss is becoming a source of concern for the general practitioner. The patient’s weight loss is of great concern since it might be linked to the sudden weight loss emanating from increasing or decreasing blood pressure. Supervision and Leadership From a psychological approach, Mr. Jones needs constant contact with others. The patient is very strong because he has been able to survive on his own during the last decade. The loss of his wife must be very painful but it is clear that the patient has had a troubled family background. In fact, the patient does not have any family members who live close to him since his only daughter is located in Spain. Being alone must be dreadful for Mr. Jones especially considering his disheveled appearance. His wife was the most important person in his life because she provided him with balance and order. From the current analysis, the patient’s health must have deteriorated during the last decade. However, more research is necessary to find out the patient’s medical history. Mr. Jones might have a history of negative social behavior such as drinking and smoking. Despite the patient’s ripe old age, Mr. Jones probably practices alcoholism hence his disheveled appearance during his appointment with the general practitioner. Physical Approach The patient exhibits physical discomfort in his chest infection. Mr. Jones’ chest infection is most likely located in his lungs or airways. While the infection was treated by the general practitioner, there should be concern over his overall wellbeing because Mr. Jones might develop an even more serious medical problem. The main causes of the chest infection might be a bacterial infection, a virus, or a special kind of bacteria known as mycoplasma (Nibali et al., 2014). While the general practitioner treated the patient’s chest infection, more concern needs to be placed on the psychological wellbeing of the patient. The patient’s disheveled appearance indicates that he needs psychological intervention. Mr. Jones’ loss of weight is also a huge problem because it indicates malnutrition. Reflective Practice As a psychologist, the best option in Mr. Jones’ case will be to facilitate the continuance of healthy performance, achievement of a new life style improvement undertakings, and accomplishment of constructive psychological development. While there might be some commonalities across the various age groups, working with 87 year old Mr. Jones will be easy. This is because Mr. Jones is a mature individual who is in his late stage in life. Consequently, it will be easier for him to accept his past and accept the fact that he still can enjoy the rest of his life without dwelling on his misery. Case Study 3 CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is a very complex field because it deals with the psychological development of young individuals. Adolescence is a very important phase in lifespan development because it profoundly impacts an individual’s ability to be successful in life. Clinical psychologists have a very intricate task of managing their various caseloads due to the underlying intricacies. Furthermore, these professionals have many caseloads which cause physical fatigue and burnout. Many clinical psychologists feel that many caseloads are rushed while many are downright risky and need extended supervision sessions. Additionally, supervisors make mistakes in terms of booking appointments since some sessions are often double booked or the timings might not correspond to proper scheduling. Stress and Burnout Clinical psychology is a demanding field which requires a lot of focus from professionals. Caseloads are often complex since each caseload is unique according to the client’s problem and treatment strategy. Good supervision plays a huge role in this kind of situation because it ensures that clinical psychologists are given cases which don’t cause stress and burnout. This is essential because clinical psychologists need adequate time to assess their caseloads while contemplating potential treatment strategies (Wessells et al., 2013). On the other hand, good supervision works for all clients in respective caseloads. The clients get adequate attention from their clinical psychologists and get the most suitable treatment for their respective issues. For instance, dealing with a 14 year old boy who frequently self-harms, engages in risky behavior, and has a poor relationship with their parents is very difficult. Such a case requires a clinical psychologist to dedicate adequate attention to the client (Carr, 2015). In fact, working with adolescents is a daunting task because these individuals are immature and tend to act on free will due to lack of maturity and understanding. Lifespan Development Lifespan development is an important issue for supervisors to address in this context. Clinical psychologists play an important role in facilitating the development of their adolescent clients. Subsequently, supervisors have to understand that rushed supervision sessions are unhealthy for their clients. Many juveniles in the child and adolescent mental health service programs are dealing with troubling issues. Many of these adolescents are dealing with drug abuse, violence, gang activity, fighting, sexual abuse, risky sexual behaviors, family problems, and many more (Vezina et al., 2015). All these problems have their solutions but the way out is unique to each individual adolescent. Therefore, lifespan development is essential since it affects individual adolescents and their ability to achieve psychological development according to their respective potential for growth. Even more importantly, achieving adequate psychological development sets the adolescent clients on the right path in life and their understanding of what they need to do to be successful (Carr, 2015). Supervisors have to understand such concepts because they tie into the relationships between clinical psychologists and their adolescent clients. Having large caseloads is a counter effective strategy since adolescents don’t get adequate attention from session supervisors. Huge caseloads only frustrate clinical psychologists since they are often too tired to deal with their clients on a more personal level. Additionally, exposure to inadequate intervention services only assures adolescent clients that there is no way for them to get help. Assuredly, troubled adolescents continue in their socially unfit behaviours during their early and even late adulthood if they are even able to get there. Child and adolescent mental health service programs need to add more client psychologists and additional support to make sure that each individual client receives adequate attention (Hernandez et al., 2015). This will enable clinical psychologist to instill important life skills and thought progression needed to prosper psychologically. Evidence Based Practice Evidence based practice is paramount because it combines clinical practice, scientific evidence, and patient perspectives (Hall & Roussel, 2012). Supervisors need to implement evidence based practices to their treatment strategies because they will help both session supervisors and the clients. In fact, the child and adolescent mental health service will benefit as an entire program since it will be necessary to restructure the entire organization in a way which facilitates optimal functioning. For example, the program needs adequate staffs to carry out the clinical duties. Furthermore, supervisors need to implement organisational strategies which facilitate the best client outcomes. For instance, management in charge of employment must hire clinicians who understand adolescents and the problems which they face (Carr, 2015). This includes pressures emanating from peers, teachers, parents, and social institutions. Finally, the child and adolescent mental health service needs to adopt the latest treatment plans which address fundamental issues which adolescents deal with on a daily basis. This particularly relates to technology and social media. Adolescent life drastically differs now compared to the last two decades. Leadership Leadership is an important element in session supervision. The booking session should not be characterized by mistakes. Supervisors have to ensure competence in their booking at all times. This makes sure that the activities of clinical psychologists are properly structured (Jones & Miesen, 2014). Competence is a leadership quality which permeates within the program and leads to stabilisation. Combined with all other elements, leadership enhances a programme’s ability to adopt sustainable practices which benefit clients and increase positive outcomes. Multi-Disciplinary Team Working Within the child and adolescent mental health service, there are many different specialisations. There are clinical psychologists, sociologists, and counselors among others. Team work is therefore important because it promotes the best chances for success. In essence, team work creates a certain kind of collaboration where the entire team understands specific needs of the clients. In the end, members of the multi-disciplinary team benefit because they gain a valuable understanding of the many factors which influence the behavior of adolescents. For example, counselors can gain much insight when they work with sociologists who have profound knowledge pertaining to the social environments. From this perspective, the counselors are able to provide parents and adolescent proper guidelines on how to achieve success in their daily lives. Reflection Overall, despite the success of the clinician psychologist, there is a great need for in depth understanding of factors which can affect psychological intervention. References Carr, A. (2015). The handbook of child and adolescent clinical psychology: A contextual approach. Chicago: Routledge. Hall, H. R., & Roussel, L. A. (2012). Evidence-based practice. Michigan: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Hernandez, M., Nesman, T., Mowery, D., Acevedo-Polakovich, I. D., & Callejas, L. M. (2015). Cultural competence: A literature review and conceptual model for mental health services. Psychiatric Services. Jones, G. M., & Miesen, B. M. (2014). Care-Giving in Dementia: Volume 1: Research and Applications. New York: Routledge. Nibali, L., Henderson, B., Sadiq, S. T., & Donos, N. (2014). Genetic dysbiosis: the role of microbial insults in chronic inflammatory diseases. Journal of Oral Microbiology, 6 (2), 45-62. Rosowsky, E., Abrams, R. C., & Zweig, R. A. (Eds.). (2013). Personality disorders in older adults: Emerging issues in diagnosis and treatment. London: Routledge. Vézina, J., Hébert, M., Poulin, F., Lavoie, F., Vitaro, F., & Tremblay, R. E. (2015). History of family violence, childhood behavior problems, and adolescent high-risk behaviors as predictors of girls’ repeated patterns of dating victimization in two developmental periods. Violence Against Women, 21(4), 435-459. Wessells Jr, D. T., Kutscher, A., Seeland, I. B., Selder, F. E., Cherico, D. J., & Clark, E. J. (2013). Professional burnout in medicine and the helping professions. Atlanta: Routledge. Read More

However, the patient’s late life crisis has been the major problem in his life. Following the death of his wife, Mr. Jones has been living alone and it seems the situation is affecting his psychological wellbeing. During our last meeting, it was apparent that the patient is exhibiting significant memory loss. The cause of the memory loss is questionable since it can emanate from both psychological and physical dysfunction (Jones & Miesen, 2014). Subsequently, multi-disciplinary working is essential to prescribing Mr.

Jones with the most effective treatment strategy. Apart from the psychological pain, Mr. Jones’ chest infection indicates that he is suffering from a problem in his heart or lung. It appears that, the condition is responsible for the memory lapse the patient has steadily exhibited according to the general practitioner and the results from the last psychological diagnosis. The chest pain the patient has been experiencing does not seem to bother the patient as much because there are no other significant physical symptoms listed from the report by the general practitioner.

However, the patient’s increased weight loss is becoming a source of concern for the general practitioner. The patient’s weight loss is of great concern since it might be linked to the sudden weight loss emanating from increasing or decreasing blood pressure. Supervision and Leadership From a psychological approach, Mr. Jones needs constant contact with others. The patient is very strong because he has been able to survive on his own during the last decade. The loss of his wife must be very painful but it is clear that the patient has had a troubled family background.

In fact, the patient does not have any family members who live close to him since his only daughter is located in Spain. Being alone must be dreadful for Mr. Jones especially considering his disheveled appearance. His wife was the most important person in his life because she provided him with balance and order. From the current analysis, the patient’s health must have deteriorated during the last decade. However, more research is necessary to find out the patient’s medical history. Mr. Jones might have a history of negative social behavior such as drinking and smoking.

Despite the patient’s ripe old age, Mr. Jones probably practices alcoholism hence his disheveled appearance during his appointment with the general practitioner. Physical Approach The patient exhibits physical discomfort in his chest infection. Mr. Jones’ chest infection is most likely located in his lungs or airways. While the infection was treated by the general practitioner, there should be concern over his overall wellbeing because Mr. Jones might develop an even more serious medical problem.

The main causes of the chest infection might be a bacterial infection, a virus, or a special kind of bacteria known as mycoplasma (Nibali et al., 2014). While the general practitioner treated the patient’s chest infection, more concern needs to be placed on the psychological wellbeing of the patient. The patient’s disheveled appearance indicates that he needs psychological intervention. Mr. Jones’ loss of weight is also a huge problem because it indicates malnutrition. Reflective Practice As a psychologist, the best option in Mr.

Jones’ case will be to facilitate the continuance of healthy performance, achievement of a new life style improvement undertakings, and accomplishment of constructive psychological development. While there might be some commonalities across the various age groups, working with 87 year old Mr. Jones will be easy. This is because Mr. Jones is a mature individual who is in his late stage in life. Consequently, it will be easier for him to accept his past and accept the fact that he still can enjoy the rest of his life without dwelling on his misery.

Case Study 3 CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is a very complex field because it deals with the psychological development of young individuals.

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