Mental Health Shadow Health Tina Jones Lifespan

LifespanActivity Time: 23 min

Tina’s seven-year-old cousin is having trouble in school. His teachers complain of behavior problems and he has difficulty concentrating. List your differential diagnosis. What assessments would you perform?

Student Response: xxxare some f the differential diagnoses that can be established for this seven-year-old patient. Behavioral history, verbal, motor, social, and learning problems are some of the assessments that can be used to guide a psychological diagnosis. A hearing test will be conducted to rule out hearing impairment and the Denver II test will also be conducted to rule out developmental delays. The DSM-IV criteria for diagnosing psychiatric conditions will be used to conduct a diagnosis of psychological disorder.  

Model Note: The differential diagnosis includes hearing impairment, ADHD, autism, and other pervasive developmental disorders. Further assessments should include a history of behavioral, social, verbal, motor, and learning problems to guide a psychological diagnosis, a hearing test to rule out hearing impairment, and Denver II test to rule out developmental delay. The DSM-IV should be consulted for diagnosis of a psychological disorder. 

Tina’s 80-year-old great aunt complains that she can’t sleep unless she drinks alcohol before bed. She mentions that her husband died last month. Her children visited for the funeral, but recently returned to their homes out-of-state, leaving Tina’s great aunt alone in her home. What risks might you be concerned about? What would you include in your treatment plan?

Student Response: It is important to understand that xxx which is most likely to be related to the death of her husband. The patient lives alone and the use of alcohol as a sleep aid exposes her to a great risk of alcohol dependence. Additionally, her alcohol use, social isolation, and widowed status exposed this patient to great risk of developing suicidal thoughts and because of her age, he is at great risk of falls that may lead to injuries. the treatment options available for this patient include a counseling referral, sleep-aid medication, antidepressant medication, and a discussion with education on the impacts of alcohol use and the importance of sleep hygiene.  

Model Note: Her insomnia and alcohol use suggest that she is struggling with depression, most likely related to the death of her husband. Her use of alcohol as a sleep-aid puts her at risk of alcohol-dependence, which is especially unsafe given that she lives alone. Tina’s great aunt’s age, social isolation, alcohol use, and widowed status puts her at a high risk for suicide. She is also at increased risk for falls and injuries. Treatment plans should include a counseling referral, antidepressant medication, a sleep-aid, and a discussion about alcohol use and sleep hygiene.