Assess the risk that this patient may pose to others

Assignment Help Science

Reference no: EM133848171

Assignment:

History

A 30-year-old shop assistant presents to the emergency department requesting that they remove the microchip from her brain. She says that this chip was implanted into her brain some weeks ago in order that aliens could control her mind.

She has previously been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and has had a number of previous admissions to psychiatric hospitals, the majority of which have been involuntary admissions. She has previously been treated with a number of different types of antipsychotic medications, and this is currently olanzapine 20 mg once daily. Her last admission to hospital was 6 months ago and since this time she has often missed her medication. She has no past medical history of note.

There is no family history of mental illness. She is currently living with her parents who are supportive of her. From the ages of 18 to 28 she smoked high-potency cannabis ('skunk') on an almost daily basis, but following advice and support from her community mental health team she has successfully cut down her use of cannabis to approximately once every month. She has no other history of alcohol or illicit substance abuse. Although she has no previous convictions she has previously assaulted her parents and ward nursing staff when psychotic.

Mental state examination

She presents as unkempt and is surprised that she is being asked about her previous psychiatric history rather than being referred to a neurosurgeon for removal of the microchip. Despite this it is possible to establish a good rapport. At several points during the interview she stops speaking in mid-sentence and stares intently into one of the corners of the room and begins whispering to herself.

She believes that a microchip has been implanted into her brain and that aliens are using this to 'put things into my mind'. She describes how the aliens put impulses into her mind which she feels compelled to act upon. For 2 days the 'alien impulses' have concentrated on killing her mother and she is concerned that she may act upon these. She denies any hallucinations but during the interview appears to be responding to unseen auditory stimuli. She has little insight and does not accept that a relapse of her mental illness could be responsible for her current difficulties. There is no abnormality upon physical examination.

Questions

•What psychopathological term could be used to describe her belief that aliens are putting impulses into her brain which she must act on?

•How would you assess the risk that this patient may pose to others?

Reference no: EM133848171

Questions Cloud

How can engagement with victims of institutional oppression : What does this mean "How can engagement with victims of institutional oppression be impacted by cultural humility and biblical principles?

Describe in detail the steps needed to verify coverage : Describe in detail the steps needed to verify coverage with the patient's insurance company. In your discussion make sure to include patient demographics.

Which is an important consideration when selecting therapy : They are currently taking valproate and previously tried and failed lithium. Which is an important consideration when selecting an adjunct therapy?

Presentation on applying it project management : Presentation on applying IT project management knowledge to the given case study and on developing project management proposals and plans

Assess the risk that this patient may pose to others : What psychopathological term could be used to describe her belief that aliens are putting impulses into her brain which she must act on?

Which client will the nurse identify as having experienced : When planning each client's care, which client(s) will the nurse identify as having experienced an adventitious crisis?

Why is about therapist self-awareness interesting : How can someone who studies psychology find information about therapy and therapist ethics useful in their future career or education?

How many calories per day each year to avoid weight gain : You should decrease daily calorie intake by how many calories per day each year to avoid weight gain related to age related decreases in metabolism?

Design and develop highly scalable cloud-based applications : COSC2626 Cloud Computing, RMIT University - Design and develop highly scalable cloud-based applications by creating and configuring virtual machines

User Account

All Pages