The DSM-V in Mental Health Assessment

DSM-V
DSM-V

We can write this or a similar paper for you! Simply fill the order form!

The DSM-V in Mental Health Assessment

ORDER INSTRUCTIONS

Though the philosophy and values surrounding couple and family counseling emphasize prevention and wellness, awareness of diagnosis is important when interacting with other mental health professionals who may view mental health issues through the medical model. The DSM-V, the primary diagnostic system/manual used in the United States by such professionals, identifies and describes individual mental health disorders, not relational issues or disorders.

Those mental health professionals who adopt a systems or relational view of mental health have been able to implement small changes within the DSM in its subsequent editions, and these changes acknowledge the systemic influence on certain individual disorders. Nevertheless, there is not yet an adopted diagnostic structure for relational problems.

Therefore, you may sometimes need to negotiate your relational perspective with other professionals and communicate client matters with insurance reimbursement boards (who see mental health problems as individual in nature) in their language.

For this Discussion, you will examine the DSM-V and how it informs your professional practice. You also explore the advantages and disadvantages of being familiar with the DSM-V.

By Day 4

Post an example of a specific instance in which you may need to consult with another mental health professional who utilizes the DSM-5. Then, explain how your familiarity with the DSM-V may influence this consultation. Next, explain one advantage and one disadvantage of a couple and family practitioner being familiar with the DSM-V. Be specific.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the resources.

For the first attachment it is their directions for the assignment the questions are highlighted. Please use headings identify each question. The second attachment is the article.

Required Readings
Lebow, J. L. (2013). Editorial: DSM-V and family therapy. Family Process, 52(2), 155–160.

We can write this or a similar paper for you! Simply fill the order form!

Bipolar Disorder Essay Paper

Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar Disorder

Want help to write your Essay or Assignments? Click here

Bipolar Disorder

Registered nurses play a central role in teaching patients, especially among those who are suffering from chronic illnesses such as bipolarr. Bipolar disorder is an illness that is normally misunderstood by patients and their families and most patients usually do not follow the administered treatment recommendations. According to Luciano et al, psychoeducation serves as a significant input towards substantially better outcomes (Luciano et al, 2015).

From the given case, a registered nurse should start by illustrating clearly the causes of bipolar. The nurse should make the family understand that there is no single cause of this condition but arises mostly as a result of interlinking of several factors. Generally, it is believed that bipolar runs in the family whereby certain individuals expressing particular genes are at a greater risk of developing bipolar disorder than others (Parikh et al, 2013).

This is absolutely true. However, the nurses should highlight clearly that some instances have been recorded whereby most children with a bipolar disorder family history do not develop the condition. Genes are not the sole risk factor for bipolar disorder other factors other than gens are also involved (Schulte et al, 2013). For instance, studies on identical twins have revealed that if one twin develops the condition, the other does not necessarily develop it despite them having similar genes.

Want help to write your Essay or Assignments? Click here

When offering this form of education, the registered nurse should make some adjustments considering the patient’s age. This is because the patient has just been newly diagnosed with the disorder and the education should focus more on how easily the condition can be managed if the patient sticks to the treatment recommendation, the patient should also be encouraged that other individuals’ of his age have since been diagnosed with the condition and won the battle against it.

The nurse should encourage the patient and his family that bipolar disorder can be treated effectively over the long term. She can use examples of patients in the hospital who have since been diagnosed with bipolar, put under medication and now are leading a normal life. The education will focus mostly on how proper treatment helps many patients with this condition achieve better control of their mood swings and associated symptoms.  

References

Luciano, M., Del Vecchio, V., Sampogna, G., De Rosa, C., & Fiorillo, A. (2015). Including family members in psychoeducation for bipolar disorder: is it worth it?Bipolar disorders17(4), 458-459.

Parikh, S. V., Glenda MacQueen, M. D., MPs, N. P., & RNBN, J. E. (2013). Psychosocial interventions for bipolar disorder and coping style modification: similar clinical outcomes, similar mechanisms?Canadian journal of psychiatry58(8), 482.

Schulte, P. F. J., Jabben, N., Peetoom, T., Postma, D., & Knoppert, E. (2013, June). Psychoeducation for bipolar disorder: a systematic review on efficacy and a proposal for a prototype. In BIPOLAR DISORDERS (Vol. 15, pp. 147-148). 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA: WILEY-BLACKWELL.

Want help to write your Essay or Assignments? Click here

Mental Health Consumer Care

Mental Health
Mental Health

Want help to write your Essay or Assignments? Click here

Mental Health Consumer Care

“How would you feel when almost every individual within the society treats you differently by avoiding any form of interaction? Well, no one prefers to be treated that way. Mental health consumers are more often marginalized because of their mental state. This aspect can worsen their entire being and situation, which can propel them to neglect the self. By definition, a mental health consumer refers to persons who use mental health services in order to empower their mental health status while obtaining support or treatment.

Evidently, suffering from mental illness can be devastating to a patient and that situation can affect various aspects of their lives ranging from their physical status to their emotional being. On the other hand, self-neglect refers to the behavioral situation in which a person neglects or fails to attend to their personal basic needs such as feeding, appropriate clothing, tending appropriately to medical conditions, feeding or personal hygiene. Nonetheless, in extreme cases of self-neglect, the situation can be inferred to as Diogenes syndrome (Townsend, 2013).

Despite the severity of self-neglect in a mental health consumer, nursing professionals need to care for them in an attempt to improve their mental health issues. This presentation focuses on the relevance of nursing care of mental healthcare consumers who self-neglect to modern mental health nursing as well as to recognize the appropriate linkages with other mental health care providers.

In order to appropriately identify patients suffering from mental health problems, it is ideal to identify the various aspects that help in identifying them or the factors that assist in characterizing them. Most cases involving self-neglect are often recognized as a result of numerous complaints received from several sources such as community organizations, neighbors, GPs and healthcare professionals (Naik, Lai, Kunik & Dyer, 2008).

The process of managing and identifying cases is very complex and difficult, which requires a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency approach. Based on several studies, individuals with mental health problems are often poor and indulge in smoking habits, lack exercise, consume alcohol, have poor diets and consumer other drugs (Middleton, 2008; Richardson, 2007). The deteriorating state of their daily lives often affects their energy levels, organization skills, attention, physical abilities or motivation.

The effect on the patient can cause them to neglect the self. Studies also indicate that the side effects of certain psychiatric medications can cause a decrease in the motivation levels among mental patients (Townsend, 2008; Gunstone, 2003). Therefore, self-neglect among mental patients can be caused by illness alone. With the help of medical practitioners including nursing care cases of self neglect among mentally ill patients re likely to reduce.

Want help to write your Essay or Assignments? Click here

Notably, nurses constitute the largest population of health care professionals, thus, they have a key role in the management and identification of self-neglect among mentally ill patients. The relevance of nursing care to mental healthcare consumers in the modern nursing practice can be identified through the assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, and implementation and evaluation steps (Peate, Wild, & Nair, 2014).

In the initial process, nurses establish a database in which the database relates to the client using assessment tools such as KELS, geriatric depression scale and nutrition assessment (Pickens et al., 2007). The next process involves identifying the patients’ health care needs as well as the specific goals for care. The third process involves establishment of the specific criteria that measures the achievement of anticipated outcomes while the forth process involves designing the most appropriate strategy that facilitates the achievement of the desired goals.

The implementation process involves initiating and finishing actions that are necessary in accomplishing goals as the final process involves determination of the degree to which the objectives and goals of the implemented care have been achieved (Boyd, 2010). Through this sequential step, a nursing practitioner is capable of analyzing personal achievements in relation to providing care to patients, especially those with mental illness and having self-neglect. The outcomes of this process help both the nursing specialists and other medical professionals to identify the various steps that in deed help in solving the problem of self-neglect among mentally ill patients, for future referencing.

Currently, the nursing profession is working towards providing holistic care to patient. This means that other than assisting patients within hospitals, nurses also help patients outside the hospitals such as acceptance within the society. With reference to mentally ill patients, they are among the mostly segregated groups of people within the society. The nursing education helps in providing additional knowledge to nurses and it is disseminated to the public by informing them that mentally ill patients are just like other people with slight differences in their ways of thinking and making decisions.

Some of the interventions include adult protection services, drug misuse rehabilitation, housing services, budgeting services and neurological assessment among many others (Lauder, Anderson & Barclay, 2005). These shape the current approach in providing care to patients by integrating friendly approaches towards the patients. By dealing with cases of self neglect, nurses are capable of reducing the stigma that mental patients receive, which in turn promotes their general well-being.

In conclusion, within the modern nursing field, practitioners are more propelled towards the identification and management of self-neglect cases among mentally ill patients as a means of preventing the reoccurrence of the phenomenon. Since nurses constitute the largest portion of individuals within the health care sector, they play a chief role in ensuring the provision of proper care to patients.

In the nursing profession, taking care of mentally ill patients helps in identifying the most appropriate ways of providing care. Treating mentally ill patients with self-neglect issues helps in improving the health of the patients in general.”

References

Boyd, M. (2010). Psychiatric nursing: Contemporary practice. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=a-GcGVtBnqQC&pg=PA893&lpg=PA893&dq=Nursing+Care+of+Mental+patients+Who+Self+%E2%80%93+Neglect+relevance++to+contemporary+mental+health+nursing.&source=bl&ots=H7F7RnZ_WT&sig=hFRFTS4lxe5tl53BEFM-1drGcpA&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Nursing%20Care%20of%20Mental%20patients%20Who%20Self%20%E2%80%93%20Neglect%20relevance%20%20to%20contemporary%20mental%20health%20nursing.&f=false

Gunstone, S. (2003). Risk assessment and management of patients whom self-neglect: a ‘grey area’ for mental health workers. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 10, 3, 287-296. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2850.2003.00568.x/abstract

Lauder, W., Anderson, I., & Barclay, A. (2005). A framework for good practice in interagency interventions with cases of self-neglect. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 12, 2, 192-198. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15788037

Middleton, J (20 June, 2008). Self-neglect 2: nursing assessment and management. Nursing Times. Retrieved from http://www.nursingtimes.net/roles/older-people-nurses/self-neglect-2-nursing-assessment-and-management/1584631.fullarticle

Naik, A. D., Lai, J. M., Kunik, M. E., & Dyer, C. B. (2008). Assessing capacity in suspected cases of self-neglect. Geriatrics, 63, 2, 24-31. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2847362/

Peate, I., Wild, K., & Nair, M. (2014). Nursing Practice: Knowledge and Care. Hoboken: Wiley. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=xqXCBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA250&lpg=PA250&dq=Nursing+Care+of+Mental+patients+Who+Self+%E2%80%93+Neglect+relevance++to+contemporary+mental+health+nursing.&source=bl&ots=a6pjAEpAMS&sig=XBJXGriVDaILTkHpVefKU3FG_2o&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Nursing%20Care%20of%20Mental%20patients%20Who%20Self%20%E2%80%93%20Neglect%20relevance%20%20to%20contemporary%20mental%20health%20nursing.&f=false

Pickens, S., Naik, A. D., Burnett, J., Kelly, P. A., Gleason, M., & Dyer, C. B. (2007). The utility of the Kohlman evaluation of living skills test is associated with substantiated cases of elder self-neglect. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 19, 3, 137-142. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17341281

Richardson, B. K. (2007). Psychiatric nursing. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=yw2HAQAACAAJ&dq=psychiatric+nursing+by+richardson&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y

Townsend, M. C. (2008). Nursing diagnoses in psychiatric nursing: Care plans and psychotropic medications. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co. http://www.sbmu.ac.ir/uploads/townsend2011.pdf

Townsend, M. C. (2013). Essentials of psychiatric mental health nursing: Concepts of care in evidence-based practice. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=cxdengEACAAJ&dq=Essentials+of+psychiatric+mental+health+nursing:+Concepts+of+care+in+evidence-based+practice.&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y


Want help to write your Essay or Assignments? Click here

The Nursing Care of Mental Health Consumers Who Self – Neglect

Mental Health Consumers
Mental Health Consumers

Want help to write your Essay or Assignments? Click here

The Nursing Care of Mental Health Consumers Who Self – Neglect

“How would you feel when almost every individual within the society treats you differently by avoiding any form of interaction? Well, no one prefers to be treated that way. Mental health consumers are more often marginalized because of their mental state. This aspect can worsen their entire being and situation, which can propel them to neglect the self. By definition, a mental health consumer refers to persons who use mental health services in order to empower their mental health status while obtaining support or treatment.

Evidently, suffering from mental illness can be devastating to a patient and that situation can affect various aspects of their lives ranging from their physical status to their emotional being. On the other hand, self-neglect refers to the behavioral situation in which a person neglects or fails to attend to their personal basic needs such as feeding, appropriate clothing, tending appropriately to medical conditions, feeding or personal hygiene. Nonetheless, in extreme cases of self-neglect, the situation can be inferred to as Diogenes syndrome (Townsend, 2013).

Despite the severity of self-neglect in mental health consumers, nursing professionals need to care for them in an attempt to improve their mental health issues. This presentation focuses on the relevance of nursing care of mental healthcare consumers who self-neglect to modern mental health nursing as well as to recognize the appropriate linkages with other mental health care providers.

In order to appropriately identify patients suffering from mental health problems, it is ideal to identify the various aspects that help in identifying them or the factors that assist in characterizing them. Most cases involving self-neglect are often recognized as a result of numerous complaints received from several sources such as community organizations, neighbors, GPs and healthcare professionals (Naik, Lai, Kunik & Dyer, 2008).

The process of managing and identifying cases is very complex and difficult, which requires a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency approach. Based on several studies, individuals with mental health problems are often poor and indulge in smoking habits, lack exercise, consume alcohol, have poor diets and consumer other drugs (Middleton, 2008; Richardson, 2007). The deteriorating state of their daily lives often affects their energy levels, organization skills, attention, physical abilities or motivation.

The effect on the patient can cause them to neglect the self. Studies also indicate that the side effects of certain psychiatric medications can cause a decrease in the motivation levels among mental patients (Townsend, 2008; Gunstone, 2003). Therefore, self-neglect among mental patients can be caused by illness alone. With the help of medical practitioners including nursing care cases of self neglect among mentally ill patients re likely to reduce.

Want help to write your Essay or Assignments? Click here

Notably, nurses constitute the largest population of health care professionals, thus, they have a key role in the management and identification of self-neglect among mentally ill patients. The relevance of nursing care to mental health consumers in the modern nursing practice can be identified through the assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, and implementation and evaluation steps (Peate, Wild, & Nair, 2014).

In the initial process, nurses establish a database in which the database relates to the client using assessment tools such as KELS, geriatric depression scale and nutrition assessment (Pickens et al., 2007).  The next process involves identifying the patients’ health care needs as well as the specific goals for care. The third process involves establishment of the specific criteria that measures the achievement of anticipated outcomes while the forth process involves designing the most appropriate strategy that facilitates the achievement of the desired goals.

The implementation process involves initiating and finishing actions that are necessary in accomplishing goals as the final process involves determination of the degree to which the objectives and goals of the implemented care have been achieved (Boyd, 2010). Through this sequential step, a nursing practitioner is capable of analyzing personal achievements in relation to providing care to patients, especially those with mental illness and having self-neglect. The outcomes of this process help both the nursing specialists and other medical professionals to identify the various steps that in deed help in solving the problem of self-neglect among mentally ill patients, for future referencing.

Currently, the nursing profession is working towards providing holistic care to patient. This means that other than assisting patients within hospitals, nurses also help patients outside the hospitals such as acceptance within the society. With reference to mentally ill patients, they are among the mostly segregated groups of people within the society. The nursing education helps in providing additional knowledge to nurses and it is disseminated to the public by informing them that mentally ill patients are just like other people with slight differences in their ways of thinking and making decisions.

Some of the interventions include adult protection services, drug misuse rehabilitation, housing services, budgeting services and neurological assessment among many others (Lauder, Anderson & Barclay, 2005). These shape the current approach in providing care to patients by integrating friendly approaches towards the patients. By dealing with cases of self neglect, nurses are capable of reducing the stigma that mental patients receive, which in turn promotes their general well-being.

In conclusion, within the modern nursing field, practitioners are more propelled towards the identification and management of self-neglect cases among mentally ill patients as a means of preventing the reoccurrence of the phenomenon. Since nurses constitute the largest portion of individuals within the health care sector, they play a chief role in ensuring the provision of proper care to patients.

In the nursing profession, taking care of mentally ill patients helps in identifying the most appropriate ways of providing care. Treating mentally ill patients with self-neglect issues helps in improving the health of the patients in general.”    

References

Boyd, M. (2010). Psychiatric nursing: Contemporary practice. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=a-GcGVtBnqQC&pg=PA893&lpg=PA893&dq=Nursing+Care+of+Mental+patients+Who+Self+%E2%80%93+Neglect+relevance++to+contemporary+mental+health+nursing.&source=bl&ots=H7F7RnZ_WT&sig=hFRFTS4lxe5tl53BEFM-1drGcpA&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Nursing%20Care%20of%20Mental%20patients%20Who%20Self%20%E2%80%93%20Neglect%20relevance%20%20to%20contemporary%20mental%20health%20nursing.&f=false

Gunstone, S. (2003). Risk assessment and management of patients whom self-neglect: a ‘grey area’ for mental health workers. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 10, 3, 287-296. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2850.2003.00568.x/abstract

Lauder, W., Anderson, I., & Barclay, A. (2005). A framework for good practice in interagency interventions with cases of self-neglect. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 12, 2, 192-198. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15788037

Middleton, J (20 June, 2008). Self-neglect 2: nursing assessment and management. Nursing Times. Retrieved from http://www.nursingtimes.net/roles/older-people-nurses/self-neglect-2-nursing-assessment-and-management/1584631.fullarticle

Naik, A. D., Lai, J. M., Kunik, M. E., & Dyer, C. B. (2008). Assessing capacity in suspected cases of self-neglect. Geriatrics, 63, 2, 24-31. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2847362/

Peate, I., Wild, K., & Nair, M. (2014). Nursing Practice: Knowledge and Care. Hoboken: Wiley. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=xqXCBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA250&lpg=PA250&dq=Nursing+Care+of+Mental+patients+Who+Self+%E2%80%93+Neglect+relevance++to+contemporary+mental+health+nursing.&source=bl&ots=a6pjAEpAMS&sig=XBJXGriVDaILTkHpVefKU3FG_2o&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Nursing%20Care%20of%20Mental%20patients%20Who%20Self%20%E2%80%93%20Neglect%20relevance%20%20to%20contemporary%20mental%20health%20nursing.&f=false

Pickens, S., Naik, A. D., Burnett, J., Kelly, P. A., Gleason, M., & Dyer, C. B. (2007). The utility of the Kohlman evaluation of living skills test is associated with substantiated cases of elder self-neglect. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 19, 3, 137-142. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17341281

Richardson, B. K. (2007). Psychiatric nursing. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=yw2HAQAACAAJ&dq=psychiatric+nursing+by+richardson&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y

Townsend, M. C. (2008). Nursing diagnoses in psychiatric nursing: Care plans and psychotropic medications. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co. http://www.sbmu.ac.ir/uploads/townsend2011.pdf

Townsend, M. C. (2013). Essentials of psychiatric mental health nursing: Concepts of care in evidence-based practice. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=cxdengEACAAJ&dq=Essentials+of+psychiatric+mental+health+nursing:+Concepts+of+care+in+evidence-based+practice.&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y


Want help to write your Essay or Assignments? Click here

Intellectual Disability: Research Paper

Intellectual Disability
Intellectual Disability

About 1 percent of the entire population has intellectual disability, which is a considerable disorder in adaptive as well as intellectual function in the early stages of development (Aveyard 2014). Individuals with the intellectual disabilities rate of developing mental illness are greater in comparison to the whole population, however, challenges in communication, access to services, literacy means that mental issues in persons with intellectual disability are inadequately recorded.

Moreover, the majority of persons with intellectual disability exhibit challenging behaviors, meaning characters of intensity, duration, and frequency that endangers their physical safety or those around them or even restricts accessing community services.

For a long period, there have been concerns that psychotropic medicine especially, antipsychotics are overused as such prescribed for problem behavior instead of diagnosing mental sickness, regardless of insufficient proof on their effectiveness. Nonetheless, getting an accurate amount of psychotropic in persons with learning disabilities is intricate, while present literature is limited due to varying descriptions.

In spite of inadequate proof from policy context, there is no detailed assessment of psychotropic in adults with learning disability in United Kingdom primary care conducted, while results from other nations cannot be generalised due to variations in health care provisions as well as practices (Guerzoni & Zuleeg 2011).                                     

Proof demonstrates that psychotropic use in entire population has been increasing tremendously for the past years, however, few studies have investigated that the patterns used to prescribe psychotropic among persons with intellectual disability. Regarding deinstitutionalization, creating warrens of psychotropic use, adverse effects and efforts to minimise its use to individuals with learning disability through the implementation of prescription standards are not clear. Furthermore, with the large as well as representative sample size, it is apparent that there are increased rates of mental illness, challenging behavior and psychotropic medicine among people with intellectual disability.

Research Question

  1. Do challenging behaviors among persons with learning disabilities result from mental impairments?
  2. Are social workers faced with challenges caring for persons with learning disabilities?

Research Objectives

  1. To establish whether or not challenging behaviors among persons with learning disabilities result from mental impairments
  2.  To understand some of the challenges that come with caring for persons with learning disabilities

Hypothesis

  1. H0:       Challenging behaviors among persons with learning disabilities do not result from mental impairments
  2. H1:       Challenging behaviors among persons with learning disabilities do not result from mental impairments
  3. H0:       Social workers caring for persons with learning disabilities do not undergo challenges that wear them down
  4. H1:       Social workers caring for persons with learning disabilities undergo challenges that wear them down

What is challenging behavior?

An individual’s conduct may be regarded as challenging if it threatens their safety or those around, particularly care or even contributes poor life quality. In addition, such behaviors can influence their capacity to participate in routine activities. Challenging behaviors consist of self-harm, destructiveness and aggression among others. Communication determines the way in which people express their needs.

In the event that communication is problematic, it may extremely discourage individuals leading to challenging behavior. If such behavior contributes to desire results, it may be repeated over and over. Challenging behaviors are common in persons with problems that impact communication and the brain including learning disability, and dementia (Economist Intelligence Unit 2011).          

Challenging behavior or behaviors that challenge are culturally anomalous behaviors of frequency or duration that endangers their safety or others. In most cases, an individual must display trends that are a threat to services for a significant timeframe. Seriously challenging behaviors are not transient occurrences. According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), challenging behavior is a concept that is associated with aggression, stereotype, and agitation or self-harm, withdrawal, and sexual misconduct (NICE 2016).

Additionally, challenging behavior involves persons whose conduct present considerable challenges to services. This comprises of behaviors that are associated with mental health issues. Challenging behaviors are widely used among persons with learning or intellectual disability, in addition to those with autism. Nonetheless, there are other groups that can be regarded to have challenging behaviors such as those with dementia and serious mental issues.

Impact of challenging behavior

             Challenging behavior is described as ‘socially unacceptable behavior’, ‘bad behavior’ (Craver 2015). The term also reflects a challenge to those concerned. It indicates that something is not working well, and it needs to be rectified and stopped. Behavior is challenging if it causes harm to another individual, or prevents them from fulfilling certain things in their lives. Challenging behaviors are detrimental to the lives of the affected persons and those around them. Hence, dealing with challenging behaviors requires careful handling in a way that supports the safety and well-being of people and others

Aggression and assault

In a study conducted by 76 social care workers in institutions that provide intellectual disability services, three-quarter of respondents had faced aggression, self-harm, and disruptive behavior. Recent studies of employees working with persons with dementia discovered that roughly three-quarter of workers faced fearful events during their work (Springer et al. 2013). The most common reported cause was physical assault. Among the respondents sampled, a fifth said they had been injured, a quarter experienced fears during interaction, and half of the interviewees stated that they adopted a more personal centered style while others learned to be more vigilant.

This study gives indications of nature and level challenging behavior experienced by staff in care homes for people with dementia.  Recent studies of perception of severe behavior and fear of assault showed that the degree of fear was greater when staff was exposed to challenging behavior. Researchers, however, found unclear evidence for the relationship between the quantity of challenging behavior and the level of fear of assault. 

References

Emerson, E. 2011, Challenging behaviors. Available from http://www.amazon.co.uk/Challenging-Behaviour-Eric-Emerson/dp/0521728932/280-1066416-6180644?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0521728932&l            inkCode=as2&redirect=true&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&tag=mentalhealt08 [25th May 2016].

Guerzoni B. and Zuleeg F. 2011, Working away at the cost of aging. Brussels: European Policy Centre. Available from:http://www.epc.eu/documents/uploads/pub_1265_working_away_at_the_cost_of_ageing. pdf ,[25th May 2016].

Hayes, S. A., & Watson, S. L. 2013. The impact of parenting stress: A meta-analysis of studies comparing the experience of parenting stress in parents of children with and without autism spectrum disorder. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 43(3), 629-642.

Mental health center 2016, Oppositional defiant disorder. Available from http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/oppositional-defiant-disorder?page=222 [25th May 2016].

National Center for Learning Disabilities. 2012, What are learning disabilities? Available from http://www.ncld.org/types-learning-disabilities/what-is-ld/what-are-learning-disabilities [25th May 2016].

Want help to write your Essay or Assignments? Click here

PTSD Symptom Cluster: Re-Experiencing, Avoidance/Numbing, Hyper arousal

PTSD Symptom Cluster
PTSD Symptom Cluster

PTSD Symptom Cluster: Re-Experiencing, Avoidance/Numbing, Hyper arousal

Abstract

Many people tend to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, (PTSD), after witnessing a life threatening events such as terrorism, road accidents, veteran wars, fire accidents, as well as natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. While treatment approaches have always been used to help individuals to recover from PTSD symptoms cluster: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal, major aspects of spirituality can also be applied to promote recovery.

In this regard, both Christian counseling and clinical group therapy can help to eliminate the PTSD symptoms cluster: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal. Ideally, Christian counseling and clinical counseling are intended to achieve a common goal about five major areas including; duration of treatment, the relevance of truth, the role of a community of support, possession of faith and motivation to persevere, as well as the role played by acceptance and hope in healing.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Cluster: Re-Experiencing, Avoidance/Numbing, Hyper arousal

1.0 INTRODUCTION

 Following severe traumatic events, victims commonly present with psychological changes that occur as they try to recall either what they saw or felt during the event. These psychological reactions may lessen if proper counseling interventions are applied immediately after the traumatic event. However, if not managed quickly, individuals may suffer constant mental problems accompanied by emotional distress, a condition that is often referred to as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Sareen, 2014).

Sareen (2014) defines PTSD as a mental disorder that occurs as a result of either witnessing or directly experiencing a life-threatening event. With the rapid rise in traumatic events such as terrorism, road accidents, veteran wars, fire accidents, as well as natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, PTSD is becoming a health concern in the society that needs to be addressed with a lot of commitment.

Effective interventions should be implemented to help prevent serious health problems that may occur from PTSD symptoms cluster: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal (Cohen and Scheeringa, 2009; & Wilkins, Lang, and Norman, 2011).

 Effective elimination of PTSD symptom cluster requires a combination of, psychological, spiritual, and pharmacological approaches to treatment (Walker, Scheidegger, End, and Amundsen, 2012). The thesis statement that guides current research states that group therapy intervention for managing PTSD symptoms cluster: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal, is based on significant aspects of spirituality.

The purpose of this research is to explore the major aspects of spirituality that are related to group therapy management for PTSD symptoms cluster: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal, while citing teachings of the Bible as well as information obtained from some theoretical resources.

2.0 PTSD SYMPTOMS CLUSTER: RE-EXPERIENCING, AVOIDANCE/NUMBING, AND HYPER-AROUSAL

2.1 Re-experiencing

            Before analyzing the significant aspects of spirituality that are related to PTSD symptoms cluster, it is important to understand the specific symptoms that a clinical psychologist and a Christian counselor intend to help their clients to recover from. In the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR (1), the American Psychiatric Association has documented specific symptoms that clinicians should substantiate during PTSD diagnosis.

According to the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-IV, PTSD should be diagnosed based on three symptoms cluster namely; re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal (Goldstein, Bradley, Ressler and Powers, 2017, p. 319). As far as re-experiencing criterion is concerned, people with PTSD individual persistently recall what was either felt or observed during a traumatic event. To prove that a client regularly recalls the happenings of the traumatic event, he or she must present with at least one of the documented five ways. 

The five documented presentations include; repeated and disturbing recollection of the happenings of the traumatic event accompanied by perceptions, images, and thoughts; repeated disturbing dreams related to the event; behaving as if the traumatic event was happening again; severe psychological disturbance whenever one comes across issues that look like the life threatening event; and physiologic disturbance any time an individual comes across things that resemble the life threatening event.

As Kleim, Graham, Bryant, and Ehers (2013) explain, it has been discovered that survivors of traumatic events have a tendency of constantly recalling those happenings, and that people often react differently depending on the degree of psychological impact that they have faced from those events.

2.2 Avoidance/Numbing

Concerning avoidance/numbing criterion, an individual who is suffering from PTSD is believed to have a tendency of constantly escaping from stimuli that are related to the distressing event. Furthermore, these people often become less responsive to activities accompanied with feelings of isolation, which did not occur before the life-threatening event.

An individual must demonstrate at least three of the seven behavioral characteristics that have been documented in DSM-IV regarding PTSD diagnosis. The seven features that have been documented by the American Psychiatric Association include; struggling to avoid perceptions, discussions, or feelings associated with the life threatening event, struggling to keep off people, places, or activities that might remind them of the traumatic event, loss of memory of the crucial aspects of the event, lack of interest in taking part in activities, feeling of isolation, inability to have feelings of affection, and loss of hope to plan for the future.

Several studies have been conducted to confirm the presence of avoidance/numbing characteristics among populations with PTSD. For instance, Naifeh, Tull and Gratz (2012) have found that persistent emotional avoidance is a common problem among patients with severe PTSD.

2.3 Hyper-arousal

            As far as hyper-arousal is concerned, individuals who suffer from PTSD often exhibit constant symptoms of excitement, which did not exist before the occurrence of a distressing event. For hyper-arousal to be confirmed in an individual, one must present with at least two of the documented characteristic behaviors. These signs include sleep problems, aggressiveness, extreme alertness, lack of concentration, and extremely astound response. As Weston (2014) explains, of the three signs that form PTSD symptoms cluster, hyper-arousal is the most predominant and that should be eliminated first.

3.0 CLINICAL APPROACH VERSUS SPIRITUAL APPROACH

As they interact with people with PTSD, both the clinical psychologist and the Christian counselor often utilize approaches which are aimed at eliminating PTSD symptoms cluster: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal (Walker et al., 2012). Although the Bible does not give any information concerning PTSD symptoms cluster, Christian counselors often rely on biblical teachings to help individuals to recover from symptoms of PTSD.

Specifically, a clinical psychologist will utilize group dynamics to help their clients to recover from PTSD cluster symptoms, while a Christian counselor will rely on the teachings of the Bible to promote healing for PTSD clients. The use of group dynamics by a clinical psychologist to help eliminate PTSD symptoms cluster: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal, is based on some major aspects of spirituality (Walker et al., 2012).

3.0 THE MAJOR ASPECTS OF SPIRITUALITY INVOLVED IN THE TREATMENT OF PTSD

3.1 Treatment Takes Time

Both the clinical therapist and the Christian counselor strive to help individuals with PTSD to recover from re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal symptoms by encouraging them that gaining healthy functioning is a process that will take time. The Christian counselor compares the recovery process to Paul’s teachings in the Bible. In 2nd Corinthians Chapter 12, from verse 7 to verse 10, Paul has written about “thorn in the flesh” (The New King James Version).

Paul says that God provides healing at a time when He feels appropriate. He further asserts that, during times of painful experiences, God provides the suffering with enough grace to help them bear difficult situations. The Christian counselor compares re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal symptoms to the pain of a thorn. By using Paul’s teachings, an individual with PTSD gets to understand the need to be patient and develops a motivation to continue attending counseling sessions repeatedly.

In Lamentations Chapter 3, and in 1st Corinthians Chapter 1, verse 4 to 9, the Bible says that those who are in suffering should continue to present their problems to God because He is always faithful (The New King James Version). A Christian counselor uses these biblical teachings to help people with PTSD to see the need of remaining focused on the spiritual aspect of recovery.

            Like spiritual counseling, group therapy by a psychologist emphasizes the need to be patient if recovery from re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal symptoms is to be realized. In psych educational group intervention, the group therapist often encourages individuals with PTSD that recovering from the three symptoms is a process that will take time. For this reason, the therapist always plans to use sessions that are extended over a given period.

This requires the group members to meet on a daily or weekly basis over some time before the three symptoms can be eliminated (Bahredar, Farid, Ghanizadeh, and Birashk, 2014). According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2014), people who are exposed to traumatic events are likely to experience various impacts based on the nature and degree of the life-threatening situation.

For this reason, a group therapist must take the time to understand individual characteristics as well as the degree of psychological impact that has been created by a traumatic event for him or her to be able to help clients to recover from re-experiencing avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal symptoms. This will require repeated interactions between the therapist and the affected individuals who will take some time (Bahredar et al. (2014).

3.2 Truth is a Key Component of Recovery

When handling clients with PTSD symptoms cluster: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal, both the Christian counselor and the group therapist inform their clients that they have to tell the truth for them to be able to recover from their psychological problems. Both counselors depend on the true information provided by their clients to develop and implement the best intervention for recovery (Walker et al., 2012).

During spiritual counseling sessions, the Christian counselor reminds clients with PTSD that God is always loving, and since He sees value in His people, He is always ready to forgive everyone irrespective of the nature and degree of sins they have committed (1 John 1:8–9, The New King James Version).

Also, the Christian counselor informs his or her clients that the most important thing that they should consider when evaluating their deeds is to know what God says about them but not what others speak of them. Therefore, instead of viewing themselves as either perpetrators or victims, they should identify themselves as beloved children of God as documented in Ephesians Chapter 1, verse 3 to 6, Romans Chapter 8, verse 14 to 17, and in 1st John Chapter 3, verse 1-3 (The New King James Version).

For those people who have lost their relatives and loved ones as a result of a traumatic event, the Christian counselor encourages them that God has a purpose for everyone’s life and that He protects His people by the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14, The New King James Version). By having a feeling that God loves, values, and forgives, clients can recover quickly from PTSD symptoms cluster: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal (Walker et al., 2012).

Like it is with spiritual counseling, a group therapist in clinical counseling relies on the true statements provided by every group member to establish the most appropriate intervention plans for them (Scott et al., 2016). Ideally, for a group therapy session to be effective in eliminating re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal symptoms, clients must identify as either victim of executors of traumatic events.

Furthermore, clients must speak the truth of the specific problem behaviors that they experience as this information helps the therapist to distinguish whether the PTSD symptoms cluster are either mild or severe. The clinical psychologist who is handling PTSD clients in group therapy sessions often formulate interventions based on the truthfulness of the information provided by group members (Asher et. al., 2015).

3.3 Healing is Enhanced by a Community of Support 

When handling clients with PTSD symptoms cluster: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper-arousal, both the Christian counselor and the group therapist have an understanding that having a community to offer support will help clients to develop a deep understanding of their problems and to perform tasks that promote recovery.  The Christian counselor encourages his or her clients to feel free to disclose their problems to the therapist to receive assistance from the group members.

In Romans Chapter 8 verse 35 to 38, the Bible says that nothing can separate Christians from the love of God. Also, it is documented in Hebrews Chapter 4 verse 14 to 16 that Christians should feel free to approach God and explain their problems to Him (The New King James Version). Since God can use people’s situations for His Glory, He also has the powers to restore healthy psychological functioning in individuals who are suffering from PTSD symptoms cluster: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, hyper-arousal (Walker et al., 2012).

The clinical psychologist who is handling PTSD patients in groups relies on support from group members to help clients to recover from re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper-arousal symptoms. According to Norton and Kazantzis (2016), one of the advantages of group psychotherapy is the ability to obtain support from the dynamic relationships within the groups.

For this reason, the therapist strives to formulate rules that promote group cohesion as he or she acknowledges the support that every group member is likely to bring to the group (Caqueo-Urizar, Rus-Calafell, Urzua, Escudero and Gutierrez-Maldonado, 2015). As Caqueo-Urizar (2015), point out; having a community of support when caring for people with mental problems is very important because the community helps with establishing whether clients have adhered to tasks that promote healing.

3.4 Faith and a Motivation to Persevere Promote Healing

Success is achieved from Christian counseling and from clinical counseling when clients are encouraged to have faith and to demonstrate a willingness to persevere from PTSD symptoms cluster: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper-arousal. The Christian counselor perfectly understands that managing mental health problems associated with PTSD is a huge challenge for individuals.

For this reason, the counselor repeatedly informs individuals with PTSD that they should surrender their problems to God who is always ready to show His compassion and love to the suffering. In 2nd Corinthians Chapter 1, verse 3 to 5, Paul says that God is the Father of compassion who always comforts those in trouble (The New King James Version). By relying on this biblical teaching, Christians with PTSD should have faith in God and healing, as they should develop a motivation to share in the suffering of Christ as written by Paul (Walker et al., 2012).

            Similarly, the success of group psychotherapy greatly relies on faith and perseverance. People with PTSD symptoms cluster: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper-arousal, should have faith that the tasks that are assigned to them by the group leader will promote healing. Also, they must be ready to face the hardships associated with the assigned tasks as their commitment to adhering to group tasks is what will determine whether they will recover from PTSD or not. Eventually, positive health outcomes are always generated through a combination of faith and motivation to persevere (Reisman, 2016).

3.5 Acceptance and Hope are Key Components of Recovery

Both Christian counseling and clinical counseling emphasize on the need to accept past occurrences and to have hope for the future. According to Wilkins, Lang, and Norman, (2011), re-experiencing occurs in people with PTSD because they have a tendency of recalling what they either saw or felt during a traumatic event.

These re-experiencing symptoms can be eliminated if clients are assisted to come to terms with experiences of a traumatic event, and this can occur if they learn to accept the past. Furthermore, people with PTSD tend to lose hope in the future and lose interest in engaging in activities that promote personal growth (Naifeh, Tull, and Gratz, 2012). Therefore, the goal of the Christian counselor, as well as the clinical group therapist is to help clients to accept the past occurrences and to have hope in the future.

            The Christian counselor assists individuals with PTSD symptoms cluster: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper-arousal, that it is important to have Hope in God because He has the powers to provide good health. The Bible says in 1st Peter Chapter 5 verse 6 to 7 that human beings should humble themselves under the powerful hand of God so that they may be exalted at the right him (The New King James Version).

In addition, in the same verse, the Bible teaches Christians that they should cast their anxieties and troubles on God because He is caring. The Christian counselor helps clients with PTSD to understand that Jesus himself experienced traumatic events and he increasingly approached God for hope. In a similar manner, by seeking help and understand from God, they will be able to recover from the mental impacts of trauma.

Like a Christian counselor, the clinician counselor always strives to assist group members to accept past occurrences and to be hopeful that they can still acquire an improved mental health (Walker et al., 2012).

4.0 CONCLUSION

            In conclusion, group therapy intervention for managing PTSD symptoms cluster: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper-arousal, is based on major aspects of spirituality. This paper has critically explored the major aspects of spirituality that are related to group therapy management for PTSD symptoms cluster: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper-arousal. Explanations about the interdependence between major aspects of spirituality and group therapy management for PTSD symptoms cluster have been provided while citing teachings of the Bible as well as information obtained from a number of theoretical resources.

References

Asher, L., Fekadu, A., Hanlon, C., Mideksa, G., Eatom, J., Patel, V. & De Silva, M. (2015). Development of a community-based rehabilitation intervention for people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia. PLoS One, 10(11): e0143572

Bahredar, M. J., Farid, A. S, Ghanizadeh, A. & Birashk, B. (2014). The efficacy of psycho-educational group program on medication adherence and global functioning of patients with bipolar disorder type 1. International Journal of Community Based Nursing and Midwifery, 2(1): 12-19

Caqueo-Urizar, A., Rus-Calafell, M., Urzua, A., Escudero, J. & Gutierrez-Maldonado, J. (2015). The role of family therapy in the management of schizophrenia: Challenges and solutions. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 11: 145-151.

Cohen, J. A., & Scheeringa, M. S. (2009). Post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis in children: Challenges and promises. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 11(1): 91-99.

Goldstein, B., Bradley, B., Ressler, K. J. & Powers, A. (2017). Associations between posttraumatic stress disorder, emotion dysregulation, and alcohol dependence symptoms among inner city females. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 73(3): 319-330.

Kleim, B., Graham, B., Bryant, R. A. & Ehers, A. (2013). Capturing intrusive re-experiencing in trauma survivor’ daily lives using ecological momentary assessment. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 122(4): 998-1009.

Naifeh, J. A., Tull, M. T. & Gratz, K. L. (2012). Anxiety sensitivity, emotional avoidance, and PTSD symptom severity among crack/cocaine dependent patients in residential treatment. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(3): 247-257

Norton, P. J. & Kazantzis, N. (2016). Dynamic relationships of therapist alliance and group cohesion in trans-diagnostic group CBT for anxiety disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 84(2): 146-155.

Reisman, M. (2016). PTSD treatment for veterans: What’s working, what’s new, and what’s next. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 41(10): 623-634.

Sareen, J. (2014). Posttraumatic stress disorder in adults: Impact, comorbidity, risk factors, and treatment. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 59(9): 460-467.

Scott, D., Reid, J., Hudson, P., Martin, P., & Porter, S. (2016). Health care professionals’ experience, understanding, and perception of need of advanced cancer patients with cachexia and their families: The benefits of a dedicated clinic. BMC Palliative Care, 15:100. Doi:  10.1186/s12904-016-0171-y

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US). (2014). Trauma-informed care in behavioral health services. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (US): Author

The Bible: The New King James Version

Walker, K. R., Scheidegger, T. H, End, L. & Amundsen, M. (2012). The misunderstood pastoral counselor: Knowledge and religiosity as factors affecting a client’s choice. Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/resources/library/vistas/vistas12/Article_62.pdf

Weston, C. S. (2014). Posttraumatic stress disorder: A theoretical model of the hyper arousal subtype. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 5:37. Doi:  10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00037

Wilkins, K. C., Lang, A. J. & Norman, S. B. (2011). Synthesis of the psychometric properties of the PTSD Checklist (PCL) military, civilian, and specific versions. Depression and Anxiety, 28(7): 596-606.

Want help to write your Essay or Assignments? Click here.