NURS 6670 Mental Health Case Study
Case Study, Mohr: CHAPTER 1, Introduction to Psychiatric–Mental Health Nursing
In completing the case study, students will be addressing the following learning objectives:
Explain elements that contribute to mental health.
Review trends, problems, and goals related to the delivery of mental health care and
treatment of mental illness.
1. Karen is a 25-year-old white woman who lives alone in an apartment with her dog. Karen
has been divorced for 2 years and is taking Prozac prescribed by her psychiatrist for
depression. Karen and her boyfriend had been discussing marriage until he told her that he
wanted to end their relationship. Karen became even more depressed and could not work
for a week. Karen returned to work, refusing to discuss her issues with family, friends, or
coworkers. She did, however, make an appointment to see a psychiatric nurse practitioner.
Karen told the nurse that she was making some changes in her life. Karen said that she and a
girlfriend were joining a gym program for workouts and a social group for young men and
women. Karen stated that she realizes that her former boyfriend had not been committed to
her, and she anticipates meeting and dating other young men from the adult social group.
Karen also said that she thinks that the gym exercise will be beneficial to her mentally and
physically.
,Learning Objectives: 1, 4)
a. How will the psychiatric nurse assess if Karen has made progress toward self-
realization?
Karen had suffered from depression which is a form of mental disorder as a result of
divorce and a broken relationship with her boyfriend. This situation according to
Hypocriticus in 15th century BC, upholds the brain as the organ of consciousness; this
occurs when both normal and abnormal behavior arise from the brain. The psychiatric
nurse can assess if Karen has made progress towards self-realization by committing to
diagnosing and treating her responses to the problems that caused her psychiatric
disorder. In-addition, the nurse can make assessment based on Karen’s psychoanalytical
disposition such as: trasferrence,defense mechanism,countertransference,acting out,
denial of the reality befallen her and projection.
b. Identify strengths that Karen has for progress in personal growth.
The strengths Karen has for progress in personal growth include the followings:
Ability to make use of social support, that is, she visited a psychiatric nurse, social group
and registered in a gym.
She was realistic about her situation, therefore made herself ready to face the reality
before her.
Karen sought immediate medical attention where she was administered with Prozac to
help mitigate her depression state.
Her cognitive behavioral responses showed optimism towards a better life as well as
fighting against her depressed state. Hence, her willingness to date younger men.
, c. Karen has been seeking treatment for her depression. Analyze the factors that might
contribute to Karen’s reluctance to discuss her depression with others.
Karen’s reluctance to discuss her depression with others hinges on the fact that her depression
was a kind called social depression. Social depression is a psychological disorder caused by
several factors such as: interpersonal relationship which involves the relationship between a
person and the interactions of emotions of each individual expressed directly and discreetly to
each other. Another is a Common interpersonal relationship, this includes : Family, social
environment (work place), and interaction among age groups and genders. Because Karen had
divorce and broken relationship, she didn’t feel safe in herself discussing her depression with
family and friends but to seek a professional whose job is to attend to her depressed case.
Hence, her neuroticism was calm and strong willed.
Case Study, Mohr: CHAPTER 2, Neuroscience: Biology and Behavior
In completing the case study, students will be addressing the following learning objectives:
Discuss neuroplasticity and how this concept relates to mental health and mental illness.
Briefly explain the importance of interaction between genes and environment, the role of
endophenotypes, and the stress-diathesis model of psychiatric illness.
1. Michael is a 22-year-old college senior whose GPA has declined with this semester’s
grades. Michael plans to apply to medical school and thinks that the lower GPA may
prevent his acceptance to medical school. For the last 2 weeks, Michael has skipped most
classes because he has insomnia and fatigue. Michael is now very depressed and has been
, thinking of suicide. He took a loaded gun from his father’s gun cabinet and then wrote a
suicide note to his family. At the last moment, he telephoned 911 and told them of his
suicide plan. The police came, took the gun away, and then took Michael to the city
hospital to be admitted for psychiatric treatment. In the admission interview with the
psychiatric nurse, Michael said that his pastor thought that only weak-willed people
experienced depression and that it was a punishment for personal sins and the sins of one’s
ancestors. Michael told the nurse that he must be weak-willed and will never be able to
accomplish anything. The psychiatric nurse explained that multiple factors are the cause
of depression. The nurse told Michael that one theory holds that an imbalance of
neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers of the brain, occurs in depression.
Neurotransmitters influence the individual’s emotions, thoughts, and subsequent behavior.
Recent research implies that neurobiology, heredity, as well as Psychological and
environmental factors may be involved in the development and progression of depression.
(Learning Objectives: 5, 6)
a. Will Michael think that the psychiatric nurse’s explanation for the cause of depression is
more correct than that of his pastor?
No. It is indeed difficult for Michael to accept the doctor’s opinion since before he fell sick,
he had information from the pastor on depression on which he solely believed and now he is
a living prove.
Case Study, Mohr: CHAPTER 1, Introduction to Psychiatric–Mental Health Nursing
In completing the case study, students will be addressing the following learning objectives:
Explain elements that contribute to mental health.
Review trends, problems, and goals related to the delivery of mental health care and
treatment of mental illness.
1. Karen is a 25-year-old white woman who lives alone in an apartment with her dog. Karen
has been divorced for 2 years and is taking Prozac prescribed by her psychiatrist for
depression. Karen and her boyfriend had been discussing marriage until he told her that he
wanted to end their relationship. Karen became even more depressed and could not work
for a week. Karen returned to work, refusing to discuss her issues with family, friends, or
coworkers. She did, however, make an appointment to see a psychiatric nurse practitioner.
Karen told the nurse that she was making some changes in her life. Karen said that she and a
girlfriend were joining a gym program for workouts and a social group for young men and
women. Karen stated that she realizes that her former boyfriend had not been committed to
her, and she anticipates meeting and dating other young men from the adult social group.
Karen also said that she thinks that the gym exercise will be beneficial to her mentally and
physically.
,Learning Objectives: 1, 4)
a. How will the psychiatric nurse assess if Karen has made progress toward self-
realization?
Karen had suffered from depression which is a form of mental disorder as a result of
divorce and a broken relationship with her boyfriend. This situation according to
Hypocriticus in 15th century BC, upholds the brain as the organ of consciousness; this
occurs when both normal and abnormal behavior arise from the brain. The psychiatric
nurse can assess if Karen has made progress towards self-realization by committing to
diagnosing and treating her responses to the problems that caused her psychiatric
disorder. In-addition, the nurse can make assessment based on Karen’s psychoanalytical
disposition such as: trasferrence,defense mechanism,countertransference,acting out,
denial of the reality befallen her and projection.
b. Identify strengths that Karen has for progress in personal growth.
The strengths Karen has for progress in personal growth include the followings:
Ability to make use of social support, that is, she visited a psychiatric nurse, social group
and registered in a gym.
She was realistic about her situation, therefore made herself ready to face the reality
before her.
Karen sought immediate medical attention where she was administered with Prozac to
help mitigate her depression state.
Her cognitive behavioral responses showed optimism towards a better life as well as
fighting against her depressed state. Hence, her willingness to date younger men.
, c. Karen has been seeking treatment for her depression. Analyze the factors that might
contribute to Karen’s reluctance to discuss her depression with others.
Karen’s reluctance to discuss her depression with others hinges on the fact that her depression
was a kind called social depression. Social depression is a psychological disorder caused by
several factors such as: interpersonal relationship which involves the relationship between a
person and the interactions of emotions of each individual expressed directly and discreetly to
each other. Another is a Common interpersonal relationship, this includes : Family, social
environment (work place), and interaction among age groups and genders. Because Karen had
divorce and broken relationship, she didn’t feel safe in herself discussing her depression with
family and friends but to seek a professional whose job is to attend to her depressed case.
Hence, her neuroticism was calm and strong willed.
Case Study, Mohr: CHAPTER 2, Neuroscience: Biology and Behavior
In completing the case study, students will be addressing the following learning objectives:
Discuss neuroplasticity and how this concept relates to mental health and mental illness.
Briefly explain the importance of interaction between genes and environment, the role of
endophenotypes, and the stress-diathesis model of psychiatric illness.
1. Michael is a 22-year-old college senior whose GPA has declined with this semester’s
grades. Michael plans to apply to medical school and thinks that the lower GPA may
prevent his acceptance to medical school. For the last 2 weeks, Michael has skipped most
classes because he has insomnia and fatigue. Michael is now very depressed and has been
, thinking of suicide. He took a loaded gun from his father’s gun cabinet and then wrote a
suicide note to his family. At the last moment, he telephoned 911 and told them of his
suicide plan. The police came, took the gun away, and then took Michael to the city
hospital to be admitted for psychiatric treatment. In the admission interview with the
psychiatric nurse, Michael said that his pastor thought that only weak-willed people
experienced depression and that it was a punishment for personal sins and the sins of one’s
ancestors. Michael told the nurse that he must be weak-willed and will never be able to
accomplish anything. The psychiatric nurse explained that multiple factors are the cause
of depression. The nurse told Michael that one theory holds that an imbalance of
neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers of the brain, occurs in depression.
Neurotransmitters influence the individual’s emotions, thoughts, and subsequent behavior.
Recent research implies that neurobiology, heredity, as well as Psychological and
environmental factors may be involved in the development and progression of depression.
(Learning Objectives: 5, 6)
a. Will Michael think that the psychiatric nurse’s explanation for the cause of depression is
more correct than that of his pastor?
No. It is indeed difficult for Michael to accept the doctor’s opinion since before he fell sick,
he had information from the pastor on depression on which he solely believed and now he is
a living prove.
