Mental Health the Medical Perspective: a Case Study
The aim of this assignment is to citically examine the medical model in relation to a client that I am working with, for reasons of confidentiality I have used a pseudo name: The medical perspectives in Mental Health.
Background
Alan is a 42 yr old white british male, he was diagnosed with schitzophrenia at the age of 21yrs. He is the eldest of two children, his sister resides with her husband and children nearby. Alan resides at home with his parents, who are in their early seventies. Alan has always complied with medication, and agreed to hospitalization when necessary, compulsory admission has not been required.
“ Scitzophrenia is a devastating mental illneess, and probably the most distressing and
disabling of the severe mental disorders. The first signs of schizophrenia typically emerge in
adolescence or young adult. The effects of the illness are confusing and often shocking to
families and friends.”
http://www.psychiatry24x7.com.schizophrenia retreived 19/01/06.
Alan is seen by his psychiatrist, every six months, unless he is unwell, when he will be seen more frequently. He is reviewed through the Care program approach at hospital out-patients. His key worker is a community psychiatric nurse, (CPN).
The psychiatrist plays a central role in the diagnosis of a mental disorder. Diagnosis is made after a mental health examination. The role of the psychiatrist in the mental state examination serves two purposes:
“A detailed history is taken to identify change and characteristic clusters indicative of a
specific psychiatric disorder. Secondly the psychiatrist has to make a comparison of change
against a diagnostic criteria to establish presence or not of a specific psychiatric disorder.”
(Holland, 2003, p.1938)
After illiminating organic cause, by physical examination, the psychiatrist makes a diagnosis by classification of the symptoms. In todays psychiatry there are two systems used to more reliably identify a
Background
Alan is a 42 yr old white british male, he was diagnosed with schitzophrenia at the age of 21yrs. He is the eldest of two children, his sister resides with her husband and children nearby. Alan resides at home with his parents, who are in their early seventies. Alan has always complied with medication, and agreed to hospitalization when necessary, compulsory admission has not been required.
“ Scitzophrenia is a devastating mental illneess, and probably the most distressing and
disabling of the severe mental disorders. The first signs of schizophrenia typically emerge in
adolescence or young adult. The effects of the illness are confusing and often shocking to
families and friends.”
http://www.psychiatry24x7.com.schizophrenia retreived 19/01/06.
Alan is seen by his psychiatrist, every six months, unless he is unwell, when he will be seen more frequently. He is reviewed through the Care program approach at hospital out-patients. His key worker is a community psychiatric nurse, (CPN).
The psychiatrist plays a central role in the diagnosis of a mental disorder. Diagnosis is made after a mental health examination. The role of the psychiatrist in the mental state examination serves two purposes:
“A detailed history is taken to identify change and characteristic clusters indicative of a
specific psychiatric disorder. Secondly the psychiatrist has to make a comparison of change
against a diagnostic criteria to establish presence or not of a specific psychiatric disorder.”
(Holland, 2003, p.1938)
After illiminating organic cause, by physical examination, the psychiatrist makes a diagnosis by classification of the symptoms. In todays psychiatry there are two systems used to more reliably identify a
References: Barry, P. (2003). Mental Health and Mental Illness. (7th ed). Philidelphia.. Lippincott. Colman, R Delivering Race and Equality, (2003) The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, breaking the Circles of Fear, breifing 17 Fernando, S. (1991). Menatal Health Race and Culture. London. Mind publications in association with Macmillon. Hewitt, P. (2001). So You Think Your Mad, 7 Practical Steps to Mental Health. Ppppppppppp Handsell Publishing. Howe, G. (1998). Getting in to the System, Living with Severe Mental Illness. London.Jessica Kingsley publishers Ltd. Jones, R Laing, R. D., (1985). Wisdom, Madness and Folly. Making sense of psychiatry. Basingstoke. Paper Mac. Leonard, B. E.(2003). Fundementals of Psychopharmocology. (3rd ed).Wiley. Pilgrim, D.,and Rogers, A., (1987). A sociology of Mental Health and Illness. (2nd Ed). Pppppppppppp. Open University Press. Professor, Kingdom, (2000). D. Edited by Bailey D. 2000, At the Core of Mnetal Health. Key issuese for practitioners managers and mental heealth managers, Rack, P Szass, T. (1997). Insanity. The Idea and it’s Consequenses. Syrcuse. University Press. WHO, (1992). The ICD10, Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidlines. Geneva. World Health Organisation. Webb Haddad, P., & Knapp, M., (2000). Health Professional’s views of services for schizophrenia – fragmentation and Inequality. Psychiatric Bulletin (24), p 47 – 50. NICE, (2003). Recommends newer antipsychotic drugs as one of the first line options for schizophenia. Press release. retrieved 19/01/06. Webb site: http://www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?0=32928