Psychological Interventions in Mental Health Nursing

Question: Discuss about the Psychological Interventions in Mental Health Nursing. Answer: Introduction: Mood is the persistent status of internal feeling. Mood of the patient can be inquired by asking questions to the patient and patient expresses mood in their own words. As a result, mood is the subjective report of patients emotional status. Mood of the patient should be assessed over a period of few weeks and not the specific time point. This feeling can be unenthusiastic, depressed and low and other side it can be energized, elevated and out of control. There is also feeling of anger, irritation and nervous. Ellens mood is aggressive, elevated, labile or reactive, irritable (Finney et al., 2016; Nakash et al., 2015). Thought content: Thought content can be sad and angry. Person always thinking about certain things and difficult to come out of this thinking. Moreover, person not willing to share this thinking and personal beliefs with others. Person is always worried and scared about certain things. Person thinks detached from other people and removed from the society. Person thinks that other person or other group intend to harm. Person has hallucinations means false perceptions and illusions means misinterpreted perceptions. From inquiry and observations, it is evident that thought content of Ellen are lavish, teasing and fundamental sexual intimation (Nordgaard et al., 2013). Thought process: Thought process cannot be observed, however it can be inquired from the patient and inferred from the talk of the patient. Thought process can be linear, goal-directed, incidental, lateral, loose associations, confused, vague, racing, jamming, perseveration and neologisms. Thought process of Ellen is fluctuating and it is running from one thought to another. Ellen is confused about timings, however she is well oriented towards place and person. Also, Ellen is low in concentration (Nakash et al., 2015). Insight: Persons perceptive of mental condition can be explored by persons explanation of the problem and awareness of treatment or management alternatives. Persons insight of the mental condition can be understood by recognition of mental illness, agreement or disagreement to the treatment or management and identification of diseased condition like delusions and hallucinations. Insight of mentally ill patient is helpful in planning management of the condition. In case of Ellen, it is difficult to get insight of her condition. In her inquiry to get insight of her condition, Ellen mentioned that she doesnt have any mental health issue and she should stop medications. However, it has been observed that she has serious mental illness (Finney et al., 2016; Nordgaard et al., 2013). In current condition, Ellen can have two risks like social isolation and becoming violent. With the erratic behavior of Ellen, people are trying to distance themselves from Ellen. This social isolation can lead to the chronic diseases. Because in social isolation there is reduced mobility and psychological deprivation due to the diminished cognitive functioning. Due to social isolation family members and surrounding people in the society would not be willing to take care of Ellen. Moreover, caretaker from the external source may abuse Ellen both physically and mentally. As a result, her overall wellbeing would be affected (Metzl, MacLeish, 2015). It is evident that, Ellen became harsh with other customers I the club and exhibited her violent behavior. Persons like Ellen with florid psychotic thoughts, may get violent as compared to other persons. Psychoactive substances use is one of the reasons for the violent behavior of the people and in case of Ellen also it is applicable. Ellen has habit of cigarettes and brandy and at the time of caught by the police also she was intoxicated (WHO, 2012). Nursing care priority Nursing intervention Rational High-risk behaviors (Clinical) Nurse should administer sedative medication to Ellen. Nurse should administer haloperidol or risperidone for acute aggression. Nurse should administer Buspirone for chronic anxiety. These medications helps Ellen to calm down and her aggressive or high risk behavior would not affect other people or harm herself (Walker, 2015; Grahame, 2012). Activities of daily living (ADLs) (Functional) Nurse should assess Ellen for her daily activities by asking her few questions and by observing her daily activities. Based on the information nurse should plan for the daily activities of Ellen. Nurse should assist Ellen in her daily activities on particular time like cooking, eating, wearing clothes, toilet use, taking medication. Nurse should also make Ellen to sleep for sufficient length of time. Nurse should assist or remind Ellen to carry out daily activities on time because, Ellen is disoriented to time and she is incapable to perform her daily activities on time (Walker, 2015; Grahame, 2012). Refusal to take medicine (Satisfaction) Nurse should perform counseling of Ellen about medication use. Nurse should convince Ellen importance of medication. Nurse should encourage Ellen to take medicine on regular basis. Nurse should assure to Ellen that these medications are not going to harm her, rather these medicines would help her to come out of her mental condition and behavior. Ellen is refusing for consumption of medicine. Because she made strong belief that medication is not going to help her, rather it is going to harm her. In the scenario nurse should force her or convince her to take medicine and made her satisfied with the medicine (Walker, 2015; Grahame, 2012). Cost and use of resources (Financial) With the help of social worker, Nurse should try to convince her not to spend more money on unnecessary things. It is evident that Ellen left little fund and she may face scarcity of und for future treatment (Walker, 2015; Grahame, 2012) Attitudes and rights: Ellen should maintain very cardinal relations with the all the society members. She should listen, learn and act according to the suggestions of her family members, her physician and community health workers in her care and recovery process. From this communication she should understand what are the important and useful aspects for the wellbeing of herself, family members and community members. Ellen should change her mentality of being harsh to others and she should be kind to others. Ellen should respect and protects others rights and she should not think only of herself. Ellen should involve in all the social activities around her and she should try to influence others with her positive and creative attitude in cultural and professional activities. With this changed attitude, she would be well received by family and society members and her care would be taken in better way. This builds confidence in Ellen about her future and her future life leads to full of happiness and well-being (www.health.gov.au). References: Finney, G.R., Minagar, A., Heilman, K.M. (2016). Assessment of Mental Status. Neurologic Clinics, 34(1), 1-16. Grahame, S. (2012). Psychological Interventions In Mental Health Nursing. Open University press Metzl, J.M. MacLeish, K.T. (2015). Mental Illness, Mass Shootings, and the Politics of American Firearms. American Journal of Public Health, 105(2), 240249. Nakash, O., Nagar, M., Kanat-Maymon, Y. (2015). Clinical use of the DSM categorical diagnostic system during the mental health intake session. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 76(7), e862-9. Nordgaard, J., Sass, L.A., Parnas, J. (2013). The psychiatric interview: validity, structure, and subjectivity. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 263(4), 353-64. Recovery Principles. Retrieved from https://www.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-pubs-i-nongov-toc~mental-pubs-i-nongov-pri on 26.09.2016. Risks To Mental Health. Retrieved from. https://www.who.int/mental health/mhgap/risks to mental health EN 27 08 12.pdf on 26.09.2016. Walker, S. (2014). Psychosocial Interventions in Mental Health Nursing. SAGE Publications.