Pharmacological Treatment Interventions for Mental Health, Attention and Memory Disorders - Case Study Example

Pharmacological Treatment Interventions for Mental Health, Attention and Memory Disorders Determine the Mental Health Issue Mr. S has a differential diagnosis of schizophrenia based on the symptoms that he presents with to me as a psychology professional. In affirmation, while reviewed form the early symptoms that potentiate the diagnosis of schizophrenia, Mr. S reported episodes of being restless. Tense feelings and irritability are positive symptoms of an individual suffering from schizophrenia. Consequently, Mr. S complains of insomnia which is a positive sign in schizophrenic patients since they avow that they experience difficulty in sleeping. Moreover, Mr. S complains that he has to take a lot of coffee to concentrate, revealing the symptom of difficulty in concentrating that is common in schizophrenic individuals (Freudenreich, Weiss, and Goff, Chapter 28). In addition, assessment of the behavior, emotions and thought process of Mr. S further incline the diagnosis of schizophrenia as the mental illness that Mr. S is suffering from. To begin with, Mr. S has delusions. He has a strong belief that as buses pass by his apartment, they slow down and there is a possibility that there are individuals who are observing him. These false strongly held beliefs by Mr. S are not based on any viable justification and thus delusions serve as a cardinal sign for the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Secondly, Mr. S has hallucinations which serve as the second cardinal sign of schizophrenia and thus affirming my diagnosis of Mr. S. Hallucinations are evident in his perception of people telling him things that he does not understand and in having bad dreams. Consequently, Mr. S is paranoid that the riders of the buses that slow down at his apartment are out to harm him, evidencing that he is paranoid (Freudenreich, Weiss, and Goff, Chapter 28). Moreover, Mr. S is agitated and anxious and has feelings of emptiness. Isolation is a positive sign in schizophrenic patients and this is what makes Mr. S smoke two packets of cigarettes a day and indulge in alcohol intake. Also, Mr. S despite being a graduate student, he is single entailing that he does not have any relationship with individuals of the opposite sex. Based on the presenting complains it is therefore relevant to conclude that Mr. S suffers from schizophrenia as evidenced by delusions, hallucinations, insomnia, isolation, restlessness, and anxiety. This therefore necessitates the need to develop a pharmacological treatment modality for Mr. S (Freudenreich, Weiss, and Goff, Chapter 28). Pharmacological Treatment Antipsychotics are the viable treatment modality that will be beneficial to Mr. S and also for the treatment of schizophrenia. Antipsychotics are classified into either first generation or typical antipsychotics, or second generation or atypical antipsychotics. The choice of pharmacological intervention is based on the history of Mr. S and also with reference to prior treatment modality that Mr. S has previously been prescribed. Among the first generation antipsychotics that Mr. S can be prescribed include: Chlorpromazine, Fluphenazine, Haloperidol and Thioridazine (Everret, Donaghy and Feaver, 2003). Clozapine is the major second generation antipsychotic that can be prescribed for Mr. S. This pharmacological intervention is aimed at balancing the brain chemistry and the treatment modality should be aimed at reducing the side effects of the antipsychotic drugs that Mr. S will be taking. With this view, the pharmacological intervention for Mr. S would be Clozapine since it will have lesser side effects for him (Freudenreich, Weiss, and Goff, Chapter 28). How the Treatment Approach Will Alter Brain Chemistry and Influence Behavior Side effects of antipsychotics can be broadly classified into Extra- Pyramidal Effects (EPEs) and anti-cholinergic effects and thus influence the behavior of Mr. S. This alteration of the brain chemistry is determined on whether Mr. S will be treated with first generation or second generation antipsychotics. First generation antipsychotics are associated with increased side effects while compared to the second generation antipsychotics. This is associated with the dopamine blockage of the antipsychotics hence inducing the prevalence of EPE (Boyd, 2007). This will be evidenced in dystonia (unstable movement) following the alteration in the tone of muscles secondary to the blockage of dopamine receptors by the antipsychotic drugs. This alteration in the brain chemistry by increased dopamine will result to Mr. S having unstable gait which can be regarded as that evident in patients suffering from Parkinsonism. An extreme EPE is known as tarditive dyskinesia which is exhibited by increased uncontrolled movements of the limbs, eyes, mouth and the tongue. This is an adverse outcome of the pharmacologic intervention and necessitating the prescription of a dopamine agonist to counter this adverse effect (Freudenreich, Weiss, and Goff, Chapter 28). Moreover, EPS is evidenced by tremors resulting from inhibited contraction and relaxation of muscles resulting from imbalanced dopamine levels. Jitters and slowed movements is another behavior that will result from the antipsychotic treatment that is given to Mr. S. The dietary behavior of Mr. S will also be altered as a result of altered brain chemistry with reference to dopamine and Mr. S may have increased appetite that will lead to increased weight gain. Also, as a result of the increased metabolic activity, Mr. S becomes predisposed to developing diabetes as a result of increased glucose and cholesterol levels (Freudenreich, Weiss, and Goff, Chapter 28). Anticholinergic effects are another alteration in behavior that will be experienced by Mr. S following the administration of antipsychotics. This will be perceived by Mr. S as having a dry mouth, since the antipsychotics reverse the cholinergic effects. Also, Mr. S elimination behavior will be altered since constipation is another anticholinergic effect of the antipsychotic drugs. Subsequently, the vision of Mr. S will be altered since he may have dry eyes leading to reduced visual acuity. Though not an anticholinergic effect, antipsychotic drugs alter the brain chemistry and in their quest to treat insomnia, they cause increased sedation of the patient. This means that the sleep pattern of Mr. S will be adversely affected and he may perceive increased sedation even during the day (Freudenreich, Weiss, and Goff, Chapter 28). In finality, schizophrenia is a common mental health disorder that can present at any age. Consequently, it is important to note that the pharmacological intervention is just one of the ways that can be used to help Mr. S and that he requires psychological, social, group and counseling services to deal with the emotional and psychological symptoms. However, the pharmacological intervention is still effective but care must be taken in prescription and Mr. S given a second generation antipsychotic, to counter the EPS and anticholinergic side effects (Jensen and Cooper, 2000) Emphasis should however be made to Mr. S that schizophrenia is a curable disease that necessitates the need for collaborative interventions for its successful management. Work Cited Freudenreich O, Weiss AP, Goff DC. “Psychosis and schizophrenia” In: Stern TA, Rosenbaum JF, Fava M, Biederman J, Rauch SL, eds. Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry. 1st ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2008: chap 28. Print. Everret, T., Donaghy, M and Feaver, S 2003, Interventions for Mental Health: An Evidence-Based Approach for Physiotherapists, and Occupational Therapists, Elsevier Science. Jensen, Peter S. and Cooper, J.R 2002, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: State of the Science, Best Practices, Civic Research Institute, Inc. Boyd, Mary A 2007, Psychiatric Nursing: Contemporary Practice, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Read More