Mental Disorders
Case Study 1
Michael is suffering from an adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressive mood. When initially making a diagnosis, the key aspects one must observe are the cause of the disorder and the symptoms associated with this disorder (‘Psychiatric disorders’, n.d). Michael’s disorder began when he had just entered a new educational environment. The cause of this disorder appears to be his confrontation or uneasiness with his peers, which led him to spending time alone. Michael’s suspicion of murder plots against him could be attributed to anxiety after confrontation with his peers. This could also be a sign of depression, as his feelings about his confrontation with his friends are exaggerated and processed in his sub conscious mind as a plot to kill him. Mood disorders, which are a sign of depression, are also present in Michael’s behavior as he is moody, irritable and sometimes abusive. Michael is also a drug user, however, this was ruled out as a cause of his problems, hence, it can be viewed as a symptom of his condition.
Nothing drastic is mentioned about Michael’s physical appearance though signs of self neglect are clearly visible in his reckless driving. Michael’s attitude is suspicious and sometimes aggressive as mentioned by his parents. Michael is said to appear restless as if on a mission, this is a sign of psychomotor agitation. He appears to have an angry mood with an exaggerated affect. Michael’s thought content is delusional as he talks to himself and mentions events of people plotting to kill him.
In addition, this is a sign of a perceptional disturbance known as hallucination. He currently has a very low cognitive level, which is evidenced in his poor performance in his studies.
As the suspected cause of Michael’s mental disorder is his conflict with his peers, closer analysis should be undertaken as to what actually started the conflict. Michael received no psychological assistance after his uneasiness with his peers, which caused him to be more conservative and spend time alone. As Michael is engaging in drug abuse, and driving recklessly, one psychological aspect that needs to be assessed is family history and suicide. Michael’s current status makes him potentially suicidal. Family history of drug abuse should be assessed. Rehabilitation could help Michael alleviate his drug problem. Mental health history in Michael’s family could help give an insight on his condition, and how previous cases in his family were handled.
As Michael is of Sudanese ethnicity, how his peers relate to him because of his race needs to be taken into consideration. The psychiatrist needs to consider Michael’s family traditions and cultural background in order to avoid ethnic bias. Religious beliefs need to also be analyzed on whether or not the family believes in God. Do they believe in supernatural forces? Do they indulge in certain rituals for treatment of various disorders? These are all questions that need to be answered. In addition, the psychiatrist needs t assess how Michael feels about being a minority and whether or …