St Thomas University Anxiety Case Study

Mr. T is a 21-year-old man who is brought to the ER by his mother after he began talkingabout “aliens” who were trying to steal his soul. Mr. T reports that aliens left messages for
him by arranging sticks outside his home and sometimes send thoughts into his mind.
On exam, he is guarded and often stops talking while in the middle of expressing a
thought. Mr. T appears anxious and frequently scans the room for aliens, which he thinks
may have followed him to the hospital. He denies any plan to harm himself but admits
that the aliens sometimes want him to throw himself in front of a car, “as this will change
the systems that belong under us.”
The patient’s mother reports that he began expressing these ideas a few months ago, but
that they have become more severe in the last few weeks. She reports that during the past
year, he has become isolated from his peers, frequently talks to himself, and has stopped
going to community college. He has also spent most of his time reading science fiction
books and creating devices that will prevent aliens from hurting him. She reports that she
is concerned because the patient’s father, who left while the patient was a child, exhibited
similar symptoms many years ago and has spent most of his life in a psychiatric hospital.
Remember to answer these questions from your textbooks and clinical guidelines to
create your evidence-based treatment plan. At all times, explain your answers.
1. Summarize the clinical case including the significant subjective and objective
data.
2. Generate a primary and two differential diagnoses. Use the DSM5 to support
the assessment. Include the DSM5 and ICD 10 codes.
3. Discuss a pharmacological treatment would you prescribe? Use the clinical
guidelines to support the rationale for this treatment.
4. Discuss non-pharmacological treatment would you prescribe? Use the clinical
guidelines to support the rationale for this treatment.
5. Describe a health promotion intervention that would be appropriate for this
patient.
Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted, and cited in current APA style with
support from at least 2 academic sources with no more than 5 years old.
Running Head: ANXIETY CASE STUDY
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ANXIETY CASE STUDY
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Summary of Clinical Case
The patient is Ms. JN, a 24 y/o female, whose chief complaint is excessive worry.
According to the patient, she has been worrying almost about everything as well as being
stressed out regarding her school life and upcoming examinations. Additional complaints include
lack of concentration, excessive fatigue, headaches that occur too often, neck muscle spasms,
and insomnia. She’s been described by the husband as a worrier since she gets worried that he
may be involved in an accident, him getting unemployed, along with some financial worries. As
she reports, her symptoms of anxiety have been overwhelming her in the recent 12 months.
Patient’s Problems in Order of Priority
•
Anxiety – The patient is concerned and “worried about everything”. She feels
impeding danger/doom. Has neck muscle spasms.
•
Fear – JN is fearful that her husband might lose his job, and maybe be involved in
an accident.
•
Fatigue – she is easily fatigued and loses concentration on class work
•
Ineffective coping – brought about by her being stressed out with her
responsibilities academically.
•
Insomnia – she has trouble falling asleep.
Pharmacological Treatment with Rationale
Use of Benzodiazepines such as Xanax 0.5mg three times a day. The concentration of a
critical neurotransmitter chemical known as GABA is increased once the patient takes the drug.
GABA works by inhibiting nerve cells from sending chemical messages to other nerve cells,
thereby introducing a sedative, hypnotic anxiolytic effects and muscle relaxant properties
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(Rachman, 2019). Additionally, the drugs also cause feelings of drowsiness thereby assisting the
patient to fall asleep. Other medications that can be used include SSRIs such as Zoloft. These
drugs work by slowing the reuptake of serotonin thereby helping in mood stabilization and
anxiety (Rachman, 2019). Zoloft can be administered inform of a tablet at 50 mg once a day, to
be taken in the evening or morning.
Non-pharmacological Treatment with Rationale
First, I would start by trying to put the patient at ease so as to discuss with her the
available therapeutic options. Establishing a trusting relationship with the patient is crucial so as
to contribute to better care experiences (Poulsen, 2017). I would then recommend Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which will teach things such as positive reframing. This will help the
patient interrupt and change the worried thoughts that give rise to anxiety (Poulsen, 2017);
Decatastrophizing, which is also a useful CBT tool that will teach the patient how to challenge
and alleviate catastrophic thinking; and Assertiveness training (Poulsen, 2017). These treatments
will assist the patient in recognizing and correcting negative thinking and behavior associated
with fear and anxiety, allowing them to live a much more optimistic and productive life.
Use of relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises, meditation, guided
imagery, and music therapy. These relaxation techniques soothe and relieve the client’s anxious
mind, as well as reducing muscle tension (Poulsen, 2017).
Assessment of treatment’s appropriateness, cost, effectiveness, safety, and potential
for patient adherence.
The appropriateness of treatment can be determined by thoroughly identifying the
patient’s problems and sources. Next is establishing a therapeutic goal that will include steps into
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the patient’s treatment plan. Then, I would choose the best drug and non-pharmacologic therapy,
apply and initiate them with sufficient detail, as I provide specifics, instructions, and warnings.
Following that, the effectiveness of the treatment is going to be determined by evaluating the
implemented therapies through quantifiable progress and improvements in the patient’s signs and
symptoms, stalled progression of the disease, and overall improved patient outcomes. Provision
of evidence of drugs’ side effects and toxicity will form part of the safety evaluation of the
pharmacological treatment. Adherence to the medication can be evaluated using a variety of
techniques, including interviews, self-report questionnaires, and tracking disease progression as
well as patient outcomes.
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References
Poulsen, I. A. (2017). Non-pharmacological interventions to reduce anxiety in patients
undergoing conscious surgery.
Rachman, S. (2019). The treatment of anxiety disorders. Anxiety and the Anxiety Disorders, 453462. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203728215-33