DQ: 23 Year Old Native American Male With Anxiety
DQ: 23 Year Old Native American Male With Anxiety
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Anxiety is plaguing M.R., a 23-year-old Native American man. He’s getting his ailments treated. He has admitted to using marijuana and alcohol to ease his problems. He worries that if he lives the way he does, he won’t make it to paradise. The patient says they don’t take any prescription or over-the-counter meds. Diabetes, hypertension, and alcoholism run in his family.
One of the top ten major reasons of hospitalization and ambulatory care visits for Indian Health Services (HIS) beneficiaries is mental illness. The requirements for any kind of mental disease are met by almost 70% of Native American men. Additionally, it has been noted that when compared to the general population, the American Indian (AI) community tends to have the highest prevalence of common psychiatric diseases. The AI population frequently reports substance addiction, alcoholism, drug usage, mood, anxiety, and personality issues. AI males experience greater anxiety than women do (Brave Heart et al., 2016).
Adakai et al. (2018) claim that compared to other racial/ethnic groups, AI have a poorer life expectancy, lower quality of life, and are disproportionately affected by several chronic illnesses (Adakai et al., 2018). For Native teenagers aged 15 to 24, suicide ranks as the second most common cause of death. Additionally, they are more likely to experience despair and drug dependence (Asher BlackDeer & Patterson Silver Wolf, 2020).
Gaining as much information from the patient as possible is crucial when considering the high risks of mental illnesses and substance
usage in order to create an accurate health history, make a diagnosis, and create a treatment plan. I would start by asking the following specific queries:
#1: For how long have you been anxious? Does it happen every day or constantly? Have you personally undergone or witnessed any trauma that you feel has had an impact? Has anyone in your close family ever had a mental illness or disease diagnosed?
Do you think you engage in peculiar dangerous behaviors? Possessing illicit behavior? Do you act rashly or have severe mood swings? Do you feel down or sad? Has anyone in your family commented on how odd or unusual you seem to be acting?
#3: What percentage of your alcohol intake? Are you a daily drinker? How many drinks do you consume each day/week? Has drinking impacted your relationships or your job? Have you ever been accused of drinking too much?
#4: How frequently and how much do you smoke “pot”? Does it improve your mood? When did you start using marijuana?
#5: What are your spiritual and religious convictions? Would you like direction and support from a chaplain or spiritual leader?
According to the AI culture, it is crucial to include conventional medical procedures in order to help the patient with their medical requirements. When treating Native Americans, clinicians should be sensitive to culture differences and use the DSM-5 Culture Formulation Interview to boost the accuracy of the diagnosis process (Brave Heart et al., 2016). Future projects should aim to merge Western and Indigenous modes of practice with a special emphasis on holistic health (Asher BlackDeer & Patterson Silver Wolf, 2020). AI patients should feel more at ease and confidence in the care they receive by making use of the tools indicated above.
References
The following authors are Adakai, M., Sandoval-Rosario, M., Xu, F., Aseret-Manygoats, T., Allison, M., Greenlund, K. J., and Barbour, K. E. (2018). American Indian and Alaskan native health inequalities in Arizona, 2017. MMWR, 67(47), 1314–1318. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6747a4
Asher A. BlackDeer and D. A. Patterson Silver Wolf (2020). Interventions for American Indian and Alaska Native youth mental health: an evidence map. 17(1), 49–62, Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1080/26408066.2019.1624237
Lewis-Fernández, R., Beals, J., Hasin, D. S., Sugaya, L., Wang, S., Grant, B. F., and Blanco are the authors of Brave Heart (2016). The findings of the nationwide epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related problems about psychiatric disorders and mental health treatment in American Indians and Alaska Natives. 51(7), 1033–1046; Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-016-1225-4