Recognizing Mental Illnesses-The Process

The Process

  1. Go to the Scenarios and click on each. Read and/or listen carefully to them.
  2. Write on your Mental Illness Behaviors Worksheet [.doc] [.pdf] which of the listed behaviors or symptoms each patient has.  Write the definitions for any new terminology you don’t already know.
  3. Watch the PowerPoints below, do some online research and/or read your textbook to determine which mental illness or illnesses you think the patients may have.
  4. Choose one of the mental illnesses you want to learn more about. Work with a group of 2-3 people (if possible) to discuss your scenario in depth.
  5. Confirm with your instructor which topic and case scenario number you will be doing.  If another group has already chosen the one you want to do, you may be reassigned to another scenario.
  6. Optional assignment for nursing students: Within your group, create an individualized care plan for that patient scenario. Use Nursing Care Plan Worksheet [.doc] [.pdf]. Write two nursing diagnoses, including a psychosocial diagnosis. You need a specific, measurable objective for each. Include at least three interventions for each nursing diagnosis.
  7. Use www.resourcehouse.org or other online resources to find appropriate community resources/referrals for your patient in your geographical area.
  8. Discuss within your group some additional difficulties you would have when planning care, patient teaching, and discharge planning for your patient.
  9. Submit answers to the Discussion Questions Worksheet [.doc] [.pdf]. Use a wiki, or write down who added what to the worksheet. Each learner is to contribute insight into coping, and share stories of a mentally ill person you knew or know. The Discussion Questions Worksheet may be posted online to share with other learners.
  10. Optional assignment: Each group will find an appropriate/valuable research article from a scholarly journal and send it and/or its link to instructor. A list of evidence-based research articles about mental illness could be compiled for further reference.
  11. Answer sheets and definition answers will be posted at your instructor’s discretion.


Listen to Scenario
Click to hear each fictitious patient’s voice and/or script. (If you want to hear the voices and see the pictures at the same time, minimize the voice window while looking at the picture and script.)  The patient is responding to the following questions (on the day following surgery to repair a leg fracture):

The nurse asks her, “How are you feeling?
Do you need pain medication for your leg?”

After hearing the person’s response, try to determine what mental illness your patient may have.  Although physicians, psychiatrists or mental health care providers are the ones to make the diagnosis, nurses and other professionals recognize problems and assess mental health to facilitate individualized care and discharge planning.

Note: The Voice files below are [.wav] files. You will need Real Player or QuickTime player installed. MS Word Document and PDF are also available.

Rachel No. 1 Rachel Voice [.wav], [.doc] [.pdf]
Heather No. 2 Heather Voice [.wav], [.doc] [.pdf]
Kate No. 3 Kate Voice [.wav], [.doc] [.pdf]
Lauren No. 4 Lauren Voice [.wav], [.doc] [.pdf]
Paige No. 5 Paige Voice [.wav], [.doc] [.pdf]
Courtney No. 6 Courtney Voice [.wav], [.doc] [.pdf]
Bethany No. 7 Bethany Voice [.wav], [.doc] [.pdf]
Samantha No. 8 Samantha Voice [.wav], [.doc] [.pdf]

Watch PowerPoint Presentations
Click on as many of these PowerPoint links as you want to. You are required to watch at least one related to your group’s assigned disorder/scenario:

Anxiety Disorders
[.pptx] [.pdf]
Agitation/Aggression
[.pptx] [.pdf]
Eating Disorders
[.pptx] [.pdf]
Mood Disorders (including Depression and Bipolar Disorder)
[.pptx] [.pdf]
Suicidal Behavior
[.pptx] [.pdf]
Organic Disorders (including Dementia and Delirium)
[.pptx] [.pdf]
Personality Disorders
[.pptx] [.pdf]
Psychotic Disorders
[.pptx] [.pdf]
Self-concept Disorders
[.pptx] [.pdf]
Substance Withdrawal and Detoxification
[.pptx] [.pdf]
Mental Health Psychophysiologic Disorders
[.pptx] [.pdf]
Mental Health Sexual Disorders
[.pptx] [.pdf]
Mental Health Substance Disorders
[.pptx] [.pdf]
 

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