It is important for the PMHNP to have a comprehensive understanding of mood disorders in order to assess and accurately formulate a diagnosis and treatment plan for patients presenting with these disorders. it is important for a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) to have a comprehensive understanding of mood disorders in order to assess and accurately diagnose and treat patients with these conditions. Mood disorders are a group of mental health conditions that involve disturbances in emotion and mood. They include conditions such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and dysthymic disorder.
To accurately assess and diagnose a patient with a mood disorder, the PMHNP must be able to gather and interpret relevant information from the patient’s medical history, physical examination, and diagnostic tests. This may include gathering information about the patient’s symptoms, their severity and duration, any contributing factors or triggers, and the impact of the symptoms on the patient’s daily life.
Once a diagnosis has been made, the PMHNP must be able to formulate an appropriate treatment plan for the patient. This may involve a combination of medication and psychotherapy, as well as other interventions such as lifestyle changes or support from family and friends. It is important for the PMHNP to be familiar with the various treatment options available and to be able to choose the most appropriate course of treatment for the individual patient.
Having a comprehensive understanding of mood disorders is essential for PMHNPs to provide effective care to patients with these conditions. Mood disorders may be diagnosed when a patient’s emotional state meets the diagnostic criteria for severity, functional impact, and length of time. Those with a mood disorder may find that their emotions interfere with work, relationships, or other parts of their lives that impact daily functioning. Mood disorders may also lead to substance abuse or suicidal thoughts or behaviors, and although they are not likely to go away on their own, they can be managed with an effective treatment plan and an understanding of how to manage symptoms.
LEARNING RESOURCES
• Sadock, B. J., Sadock, V. A., & Ruiz, P. (2015). Kaplan & Sadock’s synopsis of psychiatry (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
o Chapter 8, “Mood Disorders”
• Zakhari, R. (2020). The psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner certification review manual. Springer.
o Chapter 11, “Mood Disorders”
•
REQUIRED MEDIA
• CrashCourse. (2014, September 8). Depressive and bipolar disorders: Crash course psychology #30 Links to an external site. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/ZwMlHkWKDwM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwMlHkWKDwM&t=1sLinks to an external site.
• Walden University. (2021). Case study: Petunia Park. Walden University Blackboard. https://waldenu.instructure.com
TO PREPARE
• Review this week’s Learning Resources. Consider the insights they provide about assessing, diagnosing, and treating mood disorders.
• Review the Focused SOAP Note template, which you will use to complete this Assignment. There is also a Focused SOAP Note Exemplar provided as a guide for Assignment expectations.
• Review the video, Case Study: Petunia Park. You will use this case as the basis of this Assignment. In this video, a Walden faculty member is assessing a mock patient. The patient will be represented onscreen as an avatar.
• Consider what history would be necessary to collect from this patient.
• Consider what interview questions you would need to ask this patient.
• Consider patient diagnostics missing from the video:
Provider Review outside of interview:
Temp 98.2 Pulse 90 Respiration 18 B/P 138/88
Laboratory Data Available: Urine drug and alcohol screen negative. CBC within normal ranges, CMP within normal ranges. Lipid panel within normal ranges. Prolactin Level 8; TSH 6.3 (H)
THE ASSIGNMENT
Develop a Focused SOAP Note, including your differential diagnosis and critical-thinking process to formulate a primary diagnosis. Incorporate the following into your responses in the template:
Assessment:
• Discuss the patient’s mental status examination results. What were your differential diagnoses?
• Provide a minimum of three possible diagnoses with supporting evidence, listed in order from highest to lowest priority.
• Compare the DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria for each differential diagnosis and explain what DSM-5 criteria rules out the differential diagnosis to find an accurate diagnosis. Explain the critical-thinking process that led you to the primary diagnosis you selected. Include pertinent positives and pertinent negatives for the specific patient case.
Plan:
• What is your plan for psychotherapy? What is your plan for treatment and management, including alternative therapies? Include pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments, alternative therapies, and follow-up parameters as well as a rationale for this treatment and management plan. Also incorporate one health promotion activity and one patient education strategy.
Reflection notes:
• Reflect on this case. Discuss what you learned and what you might do differently. Also include in your reflection a discussion related to legal/ethical considerations (demonstrate critical thinking beyond confidentiality and consent for treatment!), social determinates of health, health promotion, and disease prevention that takes into consideration patient factors (such as age, ethnic group, etc.), PMH, and other risk factors (e.g., socioeconomic, cultural background, etc.).
