Mental Health

Mental Health

• Delirium: Acute confusion or disorientation. Provide a safe environment and reassurance.

• Dementia: Chronic and progressive. Redirect and orient the patient to reality with familiar objects and routines. Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia.

• Alzheimer's Disease (5 A's): Includes amnesia (memory loss), aphasia (communication difficulty), apraxia (difficulty with skilled movements), anomia (word retrieval problems), and agnosia (object recognition issues).

• Magical Thinking: Patient believes their thoughts can control others or events.

• Schizophrenia: Impaired reality perception. Symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, catatonia, and negative symptoms (e.g., flat affect, anhedonia). Establishing trust and providing a safe environment, alongside ADL assistance and non-judgmental communication, are crucial. Treatment involves antipsychotics, individual/family therapy, and social skills training.

• Positive Symptoms (Schizophrenia): Hallucinations and delusions.

• Negative Symptoms (Schizophrenia): Flat affect, anhedonia (lack of pleasure), poverty of speech.

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders: Active listening, empathy, and avoiding judgment are essential. Treatment includes anti-anxiety medications and SSRIs/tricyclic antidepressants.

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Triggered by a traumatic event. Treatment focuses on helping the patient objectively deal with the event, address areas of control, and treat anxiety/antipsychotic medication. Important nursing interventions include active listening, suicide risk assessment, and establishing safety.

• Personality Disorders: Involves inappropriate emotional responses to stress, often displayed as anxious or fearful behaviors. Needs for patient safety, empathetic communication, and recognizing manipulative coping mechanisms are crucial. Nurse interventions should focus on trust building, injury prevention, and understanding patient strengths. Several personality disorders are listed, including antisocial, narcissistic, borderline, schizotypal, avoidant, and obsessive-compulsive.

• Munchausen Syndrome: A person intentionally causes or makes up illnesses in themselves or others for medical attention or hospitalization.

Mental Health - Additional Topics

• Munchausen by Proxy: A person, usually a mother, intentionally causes or creates illness in a child.

• Tardive Dyskinesia: Irreversible involuntary movements of the tongue, face, and extremities, often due to extended antipsychotic use. Anticholinergic drugs may be used as a treatment.

• Depression: Careful assessment is crucial, as sudden mood changes (e.g., from low to high energy) may indicate potential suicide planning. Assess for somatic manifestations of depression (pain, sleep issues, appetite changes). Interventions involve direct questioning about suicidal thoughts, suicide precautions, monitoring sleep and nutrition, encouraging participation in activities, and maintaining non-judgmental communication.

• Bipolar Disorder (Bipolar I & II): Bipolar I involves manic episodes with depressive episodes, while Bipolar II involves hypomanic episodes alternating with depressive episodes. Nursing interventions focus on ensuring adequate nutrition, rest/sleep, a safe environment, and minimizing environmental stimulation. Treatment includes lithium, antipsychotics, sedatives, and family therapy.

• Phobic Disorders: Intense periods of fear/discomfort. Systematic desensitization (exposure therapy) may be beneficial, but only after trust has been established.

• Anorexia Nervosa: Characterized by significant weight loss (at least 15%), a distorted body image, and intense exercise. Interventions include monitoring weight, vitals, and electrolytes, structuring mealtimes, and using positive reinforcement to build self-esteem.

• Bulimia Nervosa: Characterized by episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors (vomiting, laxative use). Dental damage and other somatic complications are common concerns. Interventions focus on monitoring weight, vitals, electrolytes, and providing structured mealtimes and positive reinforcement.

• Alcoholism: Alcoholism is characterized by the symptoms denial, destructive behavior, demanding behaviors, domineering attitudes and dependency.

• Extrapyramidal Side Effects: Occur as adverse effects of medications, involving symptoms such as rigidity, shuffling gait, and tremors. Anticholinergic medication can help.

• Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS): A severe reaction to antipsychotic medications, characterized by muscle rigidity, fever, diaphoresis, and elevated BP and HR. It's considered an emergency situation.

• Additional Notes (General): Important general notes on patient interaction, including not arguing with patients about delusions, maintaining a supportive and non-judgmental approach, and acknowledging/addressing potential risks and concerns.

This quiz covers key concepts in mental health, including delirium, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and schizophrenia. Understand the symptoms, management approaches, and supportive strategies for individuals experiencing these conditions. It serves as a valuable resource for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of mental health disorders.