ASSESSING AND DIAGNOSING PATIENTS WITH MOOD DISORDERS
Accurately diagnosing depressive disorders can be challenging given their periodic and, at times, cyclic nature. Some of these disorders occur in response to stressors and, depending on the cultural history of the client, may affect their decision to seek treatment. Bipolar disorders can also be difficult to properly diagnose. While clients with a bipolar or related disorder will likely have to contend with the disorder indefinitely, many find that the use of medication and evidence-based treatments have favorable outcomes.
To prepare:
- Review this week’s Learning Resources. Consider the insights they provide about assessing and diagnosing mood disorders.
- Download the Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation Template, which you will use to complete this Assignment. Also review the Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation Exemplar to see an example of a completed evaluation document.
- By Day 1 of this week, select a specific video case study to use for this Assignment from the Video Case Selections choices in the Learning Resources. View your assigned video case and review the additional data for the case in the “Case History Reports” document, keeping the requirements of the evaluation template in mind.
- Consider what history would be necessary to collect from this patient.
- Consider what interview questions you would need to ask this patient.
- Identify at least three possible differential diagnoses for the patient.
Complete and submit your Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation, including your differential diagnosis and critical-thinking process to formulate a primary diagnosis. Incorporate the following into your responses in the template:
- Subjective: What details did the patient provide regarding their chief complaint and symptomology to derive your differential diagnosis? What is the duration and severity of their symptoms? How are their symptoms impacting their functioning in life?
- Objective: What observations did you make during the psychiatric assessment?
- Assessment: Discuss the patient’s mental status examination results. What were your differential diagnoses? Provide a minimum of three possible diagnoses with supporting evidence, listed in order from highest priority to lowest priority. Compare the DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria for each differential diagnosis and explain what DSM-5 criteria rules out the differential diagnosis to find an accurate diagnosis. Explain the critical-thinking process that led you to the primary diagnosis you selected. Include pertinent positives and pertinent negatives for the specific patient case.
- Reflection notes: What would you do differently with this client if you could conduct the session over? Also include in your reflection a discussion related to legal/ethical considerations (demonstrate critical thinking beyond confidentiality and consent for treatment!), health promotion and disease prevention taking into consideration patient factors (such as age, ethnic group, etc.), PMH, and other risk factors (e.g., socioeconomic, cultural background, etc.).
Required reading:
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Bipolar and related disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disordersLinks to an external site. (5th ed., text rev.). https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url= https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787.x03_Bipolar_and_Related_Disorders
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Depressive disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disordersLinks to an external site. (5th ed., text rev.). https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787.x04_Depressive_Disorders
Boland, R. & Verduin, M. L. & Ruiz, P. (2022). Kaplan & Sadock’s synopsis of psychiatry (12th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
- Chapter 2 -only sections 2.9, “Depressive Disorders and Suicide in Children and Adolescents” 2.10 Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder”, and 2.11 “Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder”
- Chapter 6 “Bipolar Disorders”
- Chapter 7 “Depressive Disorders”
Document: Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation TemplateDownload Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation Template
Document: Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation Exemplar
Required media
Classroom Productions. (Producer). (2015). Bipolar disordersLinks to an external site. [Video]. Walden University.
Classroom Productions. (Producer). (2015). Depressive disordersLinks to an external site. [Video]. Walden University.
Classroom Productions. (Producer). (1992). Mood disordersLinks to an external site. [Video]. Walden University.
Classroom Productions. (Producer). (2005). Bipolar disorder in childrenLinks to an external site. [Video]. Walden University.
MedEasy. (2017). Mood disorders (depression, mania/bipolar, everything in between) | USMLE & COMLEXLinks to an external site. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59umGpQyaHs
Video case selections for Assignment
Select one of the following videos to use for your Assignment this week. Then, access the document “Case History Reports” and review the additional data about the patient in the specific video number you selected.
Symptom Media. (Producer). (2016). Training title 2Links to an external site.[Video]. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/training-title-2
Symptom Media. (Producer). (2016). Training title 8Links to an external site. [Video]. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/training-title-8
Symptom Media. (Producer). (2017). Training title 18Links to an external site. [Video]. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/training-title-18
Symptom Media. (Producer). (2016). Training title 28 Links to an external site.[Video]. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/training-title-28
Symptom Media. (Producer). (2016). Training title 38Links to an external site. [Video]. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/training-title-38
Symptom Media. (Producer). (2016). Training title 43Links to an external site. [Video]. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/training-title-43
Symptom Media. (Producer). (2018). Training title 118Links to an external site. [Video]. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/training-title-118
Symptom Media. (Producer). (2018). Training title 144Links to an external site. [Video]. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/training-title-144
Symptom Media. (Producer). (2018). Training title 150Links to an external site. [Video]. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/training-title-150
Case History Report
Use these case histories to supplement the information about the patients in the video case
studies
Training Title 18
Name: Ms. Rosario Campbell
Gender: female
Age:25 years old
T-97.7 P-70 R-18 118/72 Ht 5’3 Wt 123lbs
Background: Currently living off-base in El Paso, Texas, active duty in the Army, MOS 92M
Mortuary Affairs Specialist. Grew up in McAllen TX with both parents and one brother.
Completed education through high school. Currently partnered. No children. Mother history of
depression; brother hx of cannabis use. No medical history. No legal hx; allergy: cipro previous
medication trials: sertraline, fluoxetine both with good effects when taking.
Symptom Media. (Producer). (2017). Training title 18 [Video].
https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://video.alexanderstreet.com/wa
tch/training-title-18