Unit 12 Discussion – Psychosocial Problems

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It is anticipated that the initial discussion response should be in the range of 250-300 words. Response posts must demonstrate topic knowledge and scholarly engagement with peers. This is not the only criteria utilized for evaluation; substantive content is imperative. All questions in the topic must be addressed. Please proofread your response carefully for grammar and spelling. Do not upload any attachments. All responses need to be supported by a minimum of one scholarly resource. Journals and websites must be cited appropriately. Citation and reference must adhere to APA format (6th Ed.).

Classroom Participation

Students are expected to initially address the discussion question by Wednesday of each week. Participation in the discussion forums is expected with a minimum total of three (3) substantive postings (this includes your initial posting and posting to two peers) on three (3) different days per week. Substantive means that you add something new to the discussion, you aren’t just agreeing. This is also a time to ask questions or offer information surrounding the topic addressed by your peers. Personal experience is appropriate for a substantive discussion and should be correlated to the literature.

All discussion boards will be evaluated utilizing rubric criterion inclusive of content, analysis, collaboration, writing and APA. If you fail to post an initial discussion you will not receive these points, you may however post to your peers for partial credit following the guidelines above. Due to the nature of this type of assignment and the need for timely responses for initial posts and posting to peers, the Make-Up Coursework Policy (effective July 2017) does not apply to Discussion Board Participation.

Discussion Prompt [Due Wednesday]

Mildred is a 45-y.o. married female with three children. She presents to you with complaints of fatigue and difficulties sleeping. She states she wants to get a good night’s sleep and is requesting a prescription to help her sleep. Mildred tells you she is awake off and on during the night, frequently thinking about her husband’s recent layoff from construction work and the effect this is having on the family. She lies down often during the day and has been so fatigued that she took some time off from work during the last 2 weeks. She is tearful at times during the visit and looks sad and anxious. On further discussion, she says she feels overwhelmed, helpless, and anxious. She tells you about an episode where she felt her heart beating rapidly, had difficulty catching her breath, felt she was going to have a heart attack, and became frightened until her husband was able to help calm her down. She is not eating as much as usual, and when she reads the newspaper, she doesn’t remember what she has read.

1. What would your focused clinical assessment include?
2. What are your initial differential diagnoses?
3. What major psychological question needs to be addressed?
4. What testing would you order to rule out any medical problems?
5. What is your plan of care?
6. What are the mainstays of treatment?What is your initial follow up plan?
7. What education would you provide to your patient?

Peer Responses/Participation [Due Sunday]   

• Make sure to respond to at least two of your fellow classmates postings as well and challenge each other to go beyond just the surface.
• Share your thoughts on how you support their ideas and explain why.
• Present new references that support your opinions.

Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format. 

Estimated time to complete: 1 hour