Patient Care
After studying Module 1: Lecture Materials & Resources, discuss the following:
The unlawful restraint of a patient can be a legal pitfall for the PMHNP. K.W. was found eating hamburgers out of a Mcdonald’s dumpster and drinking water from an old water hose. She had not taken a bath in weeks. She refused to live in an apartment because she wants to “live off the fat of the land.”
1. Cite the Baker Act law to defend your position. 2. Find one newspaper article written in the last 5 years that supports your
position. Summarize the details of the case and the laws cited
Submission Instructions:
• Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted, and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your initial post is worth 8 points.
• You should respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting/ correcting, or adding additional nuance to their posts. Your reply posts are worth 2 points (1 point per response.)
• All replies must be constructive and use literature where possible.
Patient Information
After studying Module 2: Lecture Materials & Resources, discuss the following:
It is very important for all mental health professionals to take very detailed and thorough historical information from their patients. This information should include an adequate social history, complete medical history, and a full mental status examination with a probable treatment plan.
• Describe three reasons it is important to gather detailed and extensive information from any patient before you counsel him/her or make medication suggestions. Use evidence-based research to support your position.
• Define malingering. Discuss two ways to differentiate between malingering and a DSM5 diagnosis. Use evidence-based research to support your position.
Submission Instructions:
• Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted, and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your initial post is worth 8 points.
• You should respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting/ correcting, or adding additional nuance to their posts. Your reply posts are worth 2 points (1 point per response.)
• All replies must be constructive and use literature where possible.
Anxiety Case
After studying Module 3: Lecture Materials & Resources, discuss the following:
Submission Instructions:
• Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted, and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your initial post is worth 8 points.
• You should respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting/ correcting, or adding additional nuance to their posts. Your reply posts are worth 2 points (1 point per response.)
• All replies must be constructive and use literature where possible.
Case Study
Ms. JN is a 24-year-old law student who presents to an outpatient psychiatry clinic accompanied by her husband. She feels “worried about everything!” She is “stressed out” about her academic workload and upcoming exams. She feels fatigued and has difficulty concentrating on her assignments. She also complains of frequent headaches and associated neck muscle spasms, as well as difficulty falling asleep. The patient’s husband describes her as “a worrier. She’ll worry about me getting into an accident, losing my job, not making enough money—the list goes on and on.”
Ms. JN reports that she has always had some degree of anxiety, but previously found that it motivated her. Over the last year, her symptoms have become debilitating and beyond her control.
Question s:
Remember to answer these questions from your textbooks and clinical guidelines to create your evidence-based treatment plan. At all times, explain your answers.
1. Summarize the clinical case 2. Formulate 3. Create a list of the patient’s problems and prioritize them. 4. Which pharmacological treatment would you prescribe? Include
the rationale for this treatment. 5. Which non-pharmacological treatment would you prescribe?
Include the rationale for this treatment. 6. Include an assessment of treatment’s appropriateness, cost,
effectiveness, safety, and potential for patient adherence.
Depression Case
After studying Module 4: Lecture Materials & Resources, discuss the following:
Case Study
Ms. Z is a 28-year-old assistant store manager who arrives at your outpatient clinic complaining of sadness after her boyfriend of 6 months ended their relationship 1 month ago. She describes a history of failed romantic relationships, and says, “I don’t do well with breakups.” Ms. Z reports that, although she has no prior psychiatric treatment, she was urged by her employer to seek therapy. Ms. Z has arrived late to work on several occasions because of oversleeping. She also has difficulty in getting out of bed stating, “It’s difficult to walk; it’s like my legs weigh a ton.” She feels fatigued during the day despite spending over 12 hours in bed and is concerned that she might be suffering from a serious medical condition. She denies any significant changes in appetite or weight since these symptoms began. Ms. Z reports that, although she has not missed workdays, she has difficulty concentrating and has become tearful in front of clients while worrying about not finding a significant other. She feels tremendous guilt over “not being good enough to get married,” and says that her close friends are concerned because she has been spending her weekends in bed and not answering their calls. Although during your evaluation Ms. Z appeared tearful, she brightened up when talking about her newborn nephew and her plans of visiting a college friend next summer. Ms. Z denied suicidal ideation.
Question s:
Remember to answer these questions from your textbooks and clinical guidelines to create your evidence-based treatment plan. At all times, explain your answers.
1. Summarize the clinical case including the significant subjective and objective data.
2. Generate a primary and two differential diagnoses. Use the DSM5 to support the assessment. Include the DSM5 and ICD 10 codes.
3. Discuss a pharmacological treatment would you prescribe? Use the clinical guidelines to support the rationale for this treatment.
4. Discuss non-pharmacological treatment would you prescribe? Use the clinical guidelines to support the rationale for this treatment.
5. Describe a health promotion intervention that would be appropriate for this patient.
Bipolar Case
After studying Module 5: Lecture Materials & Resources, discuss the following:
Submission Instructions:
• Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted, and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your initial post is worth 8 points.
• You should respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting/ correcting, or adding additional nuance to their posts. Your reply posts are worth 2 points (1 point per response.)
Case Study
Jill, a 24 y/o Hispanic female arrives in the emergency room where her parents brought her for evaluation. They are worried because she is giving away all of her possessions and says she is planning to move to the South Pole so she can “save the world.” Her parents say that she has hardly been sleeping at all for the last 7 days, but she seems very energetic. They say she has appeared to be “in a frenzy” lately. When you interview Jill you notice that she speaks very rapidly and is laughing uncontrollably. It is hard to get her to be quiet long enough for you to ask questions. She seems agitated and has difficulty sitting still.
Question s:
Remember to answer these questions from your textbooks and clinical guidelines to create your evidence-based treatment plan. At all times, explain your answers.
1. Summarize the clinical case including the significant subjective and objective data.
2. Generate a primary and two differential diagnoses. Use the DSM5 to support the assessment. Include the DSM5 and ICD 10 codes.
3. Discuss a pharmacological treatment would you prescribe? Use the clinical guidelines to support the rationale for this treatment.
4. Discuss non-pharmacological treatment would you prescribe? Use the clinical guidelines to support the rationale for this treatment.
5. Describe a health promotion intervention that would be appropriate for this patient.
Psychiatric Case
After studying Module 6: Lecture Materials & Resources, discuss the following
Case Study A 74-year-old African American woman, Ms. Richardson, was brought to the hospital emergency room by the police. She is unkempt, dirty, and foul-smelling. She does not look at the interviewer and is apparently confused and unresponsive to most of his questions. She knows her name and address, but not the day of the month. She is unable to describe the events that led to her admission.
The police reported that they were called by neighbors because Ms. Richardson had been wandering around the neighborhood and not taking care of herself. The medical center mobile crisis unit went to her house twice but could not get in and presumed she was not home. Finally, the police came and broke into the apartment, where they were met by a snarling German shepherd. They shot the dog with a tranquilizing gun and then found Ms. Richardson hiding in the corner, wearing nothing but a bra. The apartment was filthy, the floor littered with dog feces. The police found a gun, which they took into custody. The following day, while Ms. Richardson was awaiting transfer to a medical unit for treatment of her out-of-control diabetes, the psychiatric provider attempted to interview her. Her facial expression was still mostly unresponsive, and she still didn’t know the month and couldn’t say what hospital she was in. She reported that the neighbors had called the police because she was “sick,” and indeed she had felt sick and weak, with pains in her shoulder; in addition, she had not eaten for 3 days. She remembered that the police had shot her dog with a tranquilizer and said the dog was now in “the shop” and would be returned to her when she got home. She refused to give the name of a neighbor who was a friend, saying, “he’s got enough troubles of his own.” She denied ever being in a psychiatric hospital or hearing voices but acknowledged that she had at one point seen a psychiatrist “near downtown” because she couldn’t sleep. He had prescribed medication that was too strong, so she didn’t take it. She didn’t remember the name, so the interviewer asked if it was Thorazine. She said no, it was “allal.” ‘Haldol?”, ask the interviewer. She nodded.
The interviewer was convinced that was the drug, but other observers thought she might have said yes to anything that sounded remotely like it, such as “Elavil.” When asked about the gun, she denied, with some annoyance, that it was real and said it was a toy gun that had been brought to the house by her brother, who had died 8 years ago. She was still feeling weak and sick, complained of pain in her shoulder, and apparently had trouble swallowing. She did manage to smile as the team left her bedside.
Submission Instructions:
• Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted, and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your initial post is worth 8 points.
• You should respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting/ correcting, or adding additional nuance to their posts. Your reply posts are worth 2 points (1 point per response.)
• All replies must be constructive and use literature where possible.
Questions: Remember to answer these questions from your textbooks and clinical guidelines to create your evidence-based treatment plan. At all times, explain your answers.
1. Summarize the clinical case including the significant subjective and objective data.
2. Generate a primary and two differential diagnoses. Use the DSM5 to support the assessment. Include the DSM5 and ICD 10 codes.
3. Discuss a pharmacological treatment would you prescribe? Use the clinical guidelines to support the rationale for this treatment.
4. Discuss non-pharmacological treatment would you prescribe? Use the clinical guidelines to support the rationale for this treatment.
5. Describe a health promotion intervention that would be appropriate for this patient.
Schizophrenia Spectrum Case
After studying Module 7: Lecture Materials & Resources, discuss the following:
Case Study
Mr. T is a 21-year-old man who is brought to the ER by his mother after he began talking about “aliens” who were trying to steal his soul. Mr. T reports that aliens left messages for him by arranging sticks outside his home and sometimes send thoughts into his mind. On exam, he is guarded and often stops talking while in the middle of expressing a thought. Mr. T appears anxious and frequently scans the room for aliens, which he thinks may have followed him to the hospital. He denies any plan to harm himself but admits that the aliens sometimes want him to throw himself in front of a car, “as this will change the systems that belong under us.”
The patient’s mother reports that he began expressing these ideas a few months ago, but that they have become more severe in the last few weeks. She reports that during the past year, he has become isolated from his peers, frequently talks to himself, and has stopped going to community college. He has also spent most of his time reading science fiction books and creating devices that will prevent aliens from hurting him. She reports that she is concerned because the patient’s father, who left while the patient was a child, exhibited similar symptoms many years ago and has spent most of his life in a psychiatric hospital.
Question s:
Remember to answer these questions from your textbooks and clinical guidelines to create your evidence-based treatment plan. At all times, explain your answers.
1. Summarize the clinical case including the significant subjective and objective data.
2. Generate a primary and two differential diagnoses. Use the DSM5 to support the assessment. Include the DSM5 and ICD 10 codes.
3. Discuss a pharmacological treatment would you prescribe? Use the clinical guidelines to support the rationale for this treatment.
4. Discuss non-pharmacological treatment would you prescribe? Use the clinical guidelines to support the rationale for this treatment.
5. Describe a health promotion intervention that would be appropriate for this patient.
Struggling with where to start this assignment? Follow this guide to tackle your assignment easily!
How to use this guide
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You have multiple discussion posts/case studies (Modules 1–7).
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For each module below, I give you: exact structure, what to write in each section, key laws/guidelines to cite, and quick resource links.
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Keep a tutor’s tone: clear, supportive, and evidence-based.
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APA 7th ed. in-text citations + reference list for every post.
Module 1 — Patient Care (Baker Act scenario)
Target length
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≥ 500 words, ≥ 2 academic sources (+ 1 recent newspaper article for the Baker Act example).
Outline you can follow
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Intro (2–3 sentences)
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State the clinical/ethical issue: unlawful restraint vs. safety, capacity, and least-restrictive alternatives.
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Legal Framework: Baker Act (Florida Mental Health Act) (1–2 paragraphs)
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Define criteria for involuntary exam/placement: mental illness, refusal or inability to consent, substantial likelihood of serious harm to self/others in near future, and no less-restrictive alternative likely to help.
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Tie criteria to K.W.’s presentation (ability to meet basic needs, risks of medical neglect, capacity).
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Position & Rationale (1 paragraph)
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Defend your position (e.g., meets/does not meet Baker Act criteria) using statute language + clinical reasoning (capacity, imminent risk, least-restrictive options).
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Recent Newspaper Case (1 paragraph)
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Summarize article (≤ 5 years old): who/what/where/when; law cited; court/agency outcome; lesson for PMHNP practice.
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End with 1–2 sentences linking it back to K.W.
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Risk Management for PMHNPs (bullet list)
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Document capacity, alternatives tried, collateral info, rationale referencing statute, plan for reassessment and discharge safety.
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Conclusion (2–3 sentences)
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Reaffirm legal/ethical balance and documentation standards.
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Quick resources
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Florida Baker Act (Ch. 394, Part I): https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes (search “394.463,” “394.455”).
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APA Ethics & risk management: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/ethics
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Find a recent news article: https://news.google.com/ → search “Baker Act” → Tools → Past 5 years.
Module 2 — Patient Information (history-taking & malingering)
Target length
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≥ 500 words, ≥ 2 academic sources.
Outline
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Intro
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Importance of comprehensive history + MSE before counseling/prescribing.
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Three Reasons to Gather Detailed Information (1 short paragraph each with evidence)
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Safety & risk detection (suicide, violence, medical comorbidity).
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Diagnostic accuracy & differential clarity (rule out substance/medical causes).
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Treatment matching & outcomes (choose effective, feasible, culturally sensitive plans).
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Define Malingering
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Intentional production/exaggeration of symptoms for external incentives (DSM-5-TR).
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Differentiate Malingering vs. DSM-5 Disorder (2 strategies with evidence)
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Inconsistencies across history, mental status, records; symptom presentation not following known syndromic patterns.
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Use of validated instruments (e.g., M-FAST, SIRS-2), performance validity tests, collateral verification.
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Clinical Pearls
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Neutral stance, avoid confrontation; document objective findings; focus on function and harm reduction.
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Conclusion
Quick resources
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DSM-5-TR (malingering concept): https://www.appi.org/ (text access via library)
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M-FAST overview: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ (search “M-FAST validity”)
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Psychoeducation on history/MSE: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/clinical-practice-guidelines
Module 3 — Anxiety Case (Ms. JN)
Target length
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≥ 500 words, ≥ 2 academic sources.
Evidence anchors
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GAD diagnostic criteria (DSM-5-TR), GAD-7 tool, treatment: SSRIs/SNRIs, CBT—per APA/NICE.
Template
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Case Summary
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Persistent, excessive worry ≥ 6 months, multiple domains; fatigue, insomnia, muscle tension, decreased concentration; functional impairment.
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Problem List (prioritized)
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Severe worry/rumination; insomnia; somatic tension/headaches; academic impairment; risk of medication side effects; limited coping skills.
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Primary Diagnosis & Differentials
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Primary: Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
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Differentials: Adjustment disorder with anxiety; hyperthyroidism; panic disorder; MDD; substance-induced anxiety. (State why less likely; order TSH if indicated.)
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Pharmacologic Plan (with rationale)
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First line: SSRI (e.g., sertraline or escitalopram) or SNRI (venlafaxine XR).
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Rationale: robust evidence for GAD, headache comorbidity benefits; onset expectations; titration; side effects; pregnancy considerations.
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Non-pharmacologic Plan (with rationale)
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CBT (worry exposure, cognitive restructuring), sleep hygiene/CBT-I, relaxation training, graded activity; brief academic accommodations.
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Assessment of appropriateness/cost/adherence/safety
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Generic SSRIs affordable; CBT access/telehealth; monitor for activation, GI effects; follow-up 4–6 weeks; use GAD-7 to track response.
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Quick resources
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APA Anxiety Guideline: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/clinical-practice-guidelines
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NICE GAD: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg113
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GAD-7 tool: https://www.phqscreeners.com/
Module 4 — Depression Case (Ms. Z)
Target length
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≥ 500 words, ≥ 2 academic sources.
Outline
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Case Summary (S/O data)
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Low mood, hypersomnia, psychomotor slowing (“legs weigh a ton”), fatigue, impaired concentration, guilt; preserved reactivity to positive stimuli; no SI.
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Primary & Two Differentials (DSM-5 + ICD-10 codes)
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Primary: Major Depressive Disorder, single episode, moderate (F32.1), vs. consider Adjustment Disorder with depressed mood (F43.21) given precipitant and partial mood reactivity; Persistent Depressive Disorder (F34.1) if ≥2 years; Hypothyroidism (medical). Justify each.
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Pharmacologic Treatment
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SSRI (e.g., sertraline/escitalopram) first-line per APA/CANMAT; start low, titrate; side effects; when to add bupropion (fatigue) or avoid if prominent anxiety.
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Non-pharmacologic Treatment
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CBT or IPT, behavioral activation, structured sleep/wake times; social rhythm; consider brief sick-leave accommodations.
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Health Promotion
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Exercise (150 min/week), sleep hygiene, alcohol moderation, social connection; screening labs (TSH, CBC, CMP) if indicated.
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Quick resources
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APA MDD Guideline (2023): https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/clinical-practice-guidelines
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CANMAT MDD: https://www.canmat.org/
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ICD-10 codes: https://icd.who.int/
Module 5 — Bipolar Case (Jill)
Target length
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≥ 500 words, ≥ 2 academic sources.
Outline
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Case Summary
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Decreased need for sleep, grandiosity (“save the world”), goal-directed frenzy, pressured speech, agitation, risky plan (South Pole move), giving away possessions → acute mania.
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Primary & Two Differentials (DSM-5 + ICD-10)
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Primary: Bipolar I Disorder, current episode manic, severe with possible psychotic features (F31.2).
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Differentials: Substance/medication-induced mania; Schizoaffective disorder bipolar type. Justify with duration, psychosis timing, substance screen.
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Pharmacologic Treatment (acute mania)
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First-line: Lithium or valproate + an atypical antipsychotic (e.g., olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone).
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Safety: pregnancy tests, labs (BMP, LFTs, CBC, TSH), levels for lithium/valproate; metabolic monitoring.
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Non-pharmacologic
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Hospitalization if safety/gravely disabled; psychoeducation, sleep stabilization, family involvement; consider EE (expressed emotion) reduction.
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Health Promotion
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Relapse prevention plan, triggers, adherence counseling, substance use screening.
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Quick resources
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CANMAT/ISBD Bipolar Guidelines (2021): https://www.isbd.org/
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APA Bipolar Guideline: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/clinical-practice-guidelines
Module 6 — Psychiatric Case (Ms. Richardson, 74)
Target length
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≥ 500 words, ≥ 2 academic sources.
Outline
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Case Summary (S/O)
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Elderly, poor self-care, confusion, disorientation to time/place, uncontrolled diabetes, possible delirium vs. major neurocognitive disorder; unsafe living conditions; firearm in home.
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Primary & Two Differentials (DSM-5 + ICD-10)
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Primary: Delirium due to another medical condition (F05): acute onset, fluctuating attention, medical precipitants (infection, metabolic).
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Differentials: Major neurocognitive disorder (F03.90); Psychotic disorder due to another medical condition (F06.2). Provide reasoning and needed labs/imaging.
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Pharmacologic
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Treat underlying cause (fluids, correct glucose/electrolytes, infection workup).
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Avoid antipsychotics unless severe agitation threatens safety; if needed, low-dose haloperidol with ECG/QT caution; avoid benzodiazepines (unless alcohol/BZD withdrawal).
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Non-pharmacologic
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Reorientation cues, sleep protocol, glasses/hearing aids, mobilization, family presence, remove hazards.
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Health Promotion
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Diabetes education, home safety assessment, social services referral, advanced care planning.
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Quick resources
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NICE Delirium NG103: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng103
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AGS Beers Criteria: https://geriatricscareonline.org/
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APA guidelines: as above
Module 7 — Schizophrenia Spectrum Case (Mr. T)
Target length
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≥ 500 words, ≥ 2 academic sources.
Outline
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Case Summary (S/O)
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Positive symptoms: persecutory delusions (aliens), ideas of reference, possible thought insertion, thought blocking; functional decline over months; FHx of psychosis.
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Primary & Two Differentials (DSM-5 + ICD-10)
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Primary: Schizophrenia (≥ 6 months total disturbance; ≥ 1 month active-phase) (F20.9).
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Differentials: Schizophreniform disorder (F20.81) (<6 months); Substance/medication-induced psychotic disorder (F19.959). Support with timeline, tox screen, prodrome.
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Pharmacologic
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Start second-generation antipsychotic (e.g., risperidone, aripiprazole, olanzapine).
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Discuss adverse effects (metabolic, EPS, prolactin), monitoring, and LAI consideration for adherence.
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Non-pharmacologic
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Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) for first-episode psychosis, CBT-p, family psychoeducation, supported education/employment, relapse plan.
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Health Promotion
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Cardiometabolic monitoring (A1c, lipids, BMI, BP), smoking cessation, sleep hygiene, substance-use counseling.
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Quick resources
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APA Schizophrenia Guideline (2020): https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/clinical-practice-guidelines
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RAISE/CSC model: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/raise
Writing & APA Tips (for every module)
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Intro–Body–Conclusion format; use subheadings (e.g., Legal Framework, Diagnosis, Treatment).
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In-text citations for every key claim (guideline, statute, diagnostic criteria).
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Reference list in APA 7th.
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Proofread for clarity and concision; keep paragraphs focused.
General Resource Links (reliable, student-friendly)
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APA Clinical Practice Guidelines: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/clinical-practice-guidelines
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NICE Guidance (free, high quality): https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance
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DSM-5-TR (via library access): https://www.appi.org/
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Purdue OWL (APA 7th): https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_style_introduction.html
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Google Scholar (filter by last 5 years): https://scholar.google.com/
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Screeners: PHQ-9, GAD-7 → https://www.phqscreeners.com/
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Florida Statutes (Baker Act): https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes (search Ch. 394)
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