Assignment: Suffering From Depression
The Assignment
Consider the following case study: An African American Child Suffering From Depression. You will be required to make three decisions about the medication to be prescribed to this client. Take into account any factors that may have an impact on the client’s pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes.
Stop at each decision point to complete the following tasks:
Which decision did you make first?
Why did you make this choice? Provide evidence and references to the Learning Resources to back up your response.
What were your intentions in making this decision? Provide evidence and references to the Learning Resources to back up your response.
Explain any discrepancy between what you expected to achieve with Decision #1 and the outcome. What made them unique?
Decision #2: Why did you make this choice? Provide evidence and references to the Learning Resources to back up your response.
What were your intentions in making this decision? Provide evidence and references to the Learning Resources to back up your response.
Explain any discrepancy between what you expected to achieve with Decision #2 and the outcome. What made them unique?
Decision #3: Why did you make this choice? Provide evidence and references to the Learning Resources to back up your response.
What were your intentions in making this decision? Provide evidence and references to the Learning Resources to back up your response.
Explain any discrepancy between what you expected to achieve with Decision #3 and the outcome. What made them unique?
Include how ethical considerations may affect your treatment plan and client communication.
Please include at least three academic resources to back up your reasoning. While you may use the course text to support your reasoning, it will not count as a resource.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The patient is an 8-year-old African-American boy who comes to the ER with his mother. He’s showing signs of depression. Mother reports that teacher said child is withdrawn from peers in class. Mother notes decreased appetite and occasional periods of irritation.
Client met all developmental milestones at the appropriate ages.
Unremarkable physical examination
WNL laboratory research
Client seen by Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner after being referred to psychiatry for evaluation.
EXAMINATION OF MENTAL STATUS
Alert and focused X 3, clear, coherent, goal-directed, spontaneous speech “Sad” is the self-reported mood. The child’s affect was somewhat muffled, but he smiled appropriately at various points throughout the clinical interview. He denies experiencing visual or auditory hallucinations. There were no delusional or paranoid thought processes observed. Age-appropriate judgment and insight appear to exist. He does not support active suicidal ideation, but he admits that he often fantasizes about himself dying and what it would be like to be dead.
The PMHNP administered the Children’s Depression Rating Scale and received a score of 30. (indicating significant depression)
RESOURCES
E. Poznanski and H. Mokros (1996). Revised Child Depression Rating Scale Western Psychological Services, Los Angeles, CA.
You should proofread your paper. However, do not rely solely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part, and your grade will suffer as a result. Papers with a high number of misspelled words and grammatical errors will be penalized. Before submitting your paper, go over it in silence and then aloud, and make any necessary changes. It is often beneficial to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Uncorrected mistakes are preferable to handwritten corrections.
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