Integrative Psychological Evaluation, Essay Example

Identifying Data

On November 1st, 2021, Shar B is a twenty-one-year-old African American woman who is presently attending college and works as a Walmart cashier. She is a single heterosexual woman who speaks English. Dr Fran Davis-Weathers, her psychologist, conducted a clinical examination, diagnostic assistance and helped in developing an appropriate treatment plan for her.

Referral Questions

There was a discussion with Miss B. about the scope of the evaluation’s secrecy, access to documents, and its purpose. Self-referral from a client who wants to learn more about her frequent panic episodes and whether or not they may be alleviated. To assist in making proper referrals for psychotherapy and learning about local resources, she was told that her assessment(s) and the information she gave would be communicated to her psychiatrist. It was clear that she had grasped the concept and was willing to go on with the evaluation. The assessment aimed to determine the following questions :

1. Psychiatric condition or not, is the symptomology consistent?
2. Is this person suffering from a learning disability, attentional disorder, conduct disorder, or any other ailment that may be diagnosed?

Methodology 

A clinical interview, a mental status assessment, and a semi-structured interview were all employed in this study. Miss B and her psychotherapist provided the following background information. This data was gathered by a clinical consultation, history of development, and a mental status examination. The data obtained is accurate and sourced from trustworthy sources. This assessment was based on observations made during her testing and the findings of a standardized psychological exam. Miss B consented to take the WRAT-5 and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, 4th edition assessments (WAIS-IV). Because she cooperated while the exams were being performed, her performance on these examinations was reliable.

Background Information

Panic attacks, which are another name for anxiety attacks, are episodes of extreme dread and panic. Although the assaults may be spontaneous, they may also be triggered by something else. People who suffer from this condition often describe themselves as having lost all sense of reality and feeling like they’re drowning in their misery.

Clinical Interview

Concerned about periodic panic episodes, Miss B sought treatment at the clinic. Following her parents’ split, she was raised by a single mother in a household of four. As a result, both parents have not got therapy for any health issues. When Miss B’s parents divorced, it was only her mother who remarried. S.B’s family has no criminal background, and he says he gets along well with all of them.

As of right now, Miss B has two closest friends, and she has nothing but good things to say about her childhood pals. She has never been married or divorced and has never been in a relationship before. Miss B was assaulted by a family member when she was ten years old. When she told her parents about the problem, she was merely given counselling, and no one from child welfare was sent in.

Before enrolling at the Savannah State Technical Training College, Miss B had finished 12th grade and never had to retake a single phase in her whole life. She works part-time at Walmart as a cashier and says she enjoys it. Finally, it is essential to realize that she has never worked in the United States of America military before.

Mental Health Examination

However, the volume and pace of Miss B’s speaking remained unchanged. Since a result of the abrupt panic episodes, she described feeling frightened and discouraged, as she was unsure when they would finish. Thought anomalies were absent in both form and content. During the MSE, she did not exhibit any illusions, preoccupation or overestimation of her thoughts.

With no hallucinations or illusions, the patient’s perception was clear. Miss B was aware, conscious, and able to recall events from the past. Despite this, she had difficulty with attention and focus, and I had to ask her the same things repeatedly. Despite her best efforts, she could not finish deducting seven from 100 in the following manner because of a lack of mental fortitude. The results of Miss B’s mental status assessment indicated that she might be suffering from an anxiety problem since her speaking volume was lowered and she struggled to focus and pay attention.

Behavioural Observation

Miss B looked to be well-groomed, friendly, and open to conversation. Wide palpebral fissures on her face and horizontal lines on her forehead conveyed her anxiousness. As she sat erect, her head held high, and her hands firmly gripped her chair. She seemed to be agitated at times during the talk, and I had to calm her down. None of these abnormalities, such as dystonia or choreiform motions, were seen. Due to her regular anxiety episodes, Miss B’s conduct reveals that she suffers from an anxiety problem.

Test Results

The customer seemed to have a good basis of knowledge. Every one of her replies was correct (Tracy, 2021). The following questions were posed by a customer when they questioned about their general knowledge. Miss B had little trouble answering several of the questions, but she was baffled by a couple of the more difficult ones.

Miss B is an average student who knows how to use language well but struggles with basic math. Even in topics as easy as word puzzles, she struggles with focus, and her attendance at school is appalling (Schnitker, 2021). But she’s also not very outgoing.

Concern about one test might spread to all future tests if the patient is very concerned. The customers in this case had to deal with a number of hazardous conditions. Thus, she was at a loss for words when confronted with the situation. This might lead to feelings of anxiety (Schnitker, 2021).

A medical assessment and extra psychotherapy are necessary for my client, as their therapist. Because of her background, I’m concerned she has anxiety trauma. (Schnitker, 2021).

The test used the Wide Range Achievement Test Fifth Edition (WRAT5 TM)  which is an accurate and easy-to-administer manner (Schnitker, 2021). According to the findings, Shar B has a fantastic cognitive capacity, intellect, as well as an introverted demeanor, making her a very clever personality. In addition, transitioning from a comfortable to a tense condition might reduce Shar B (Ledgerwood, 2018). Modifying the client’s muscle relaxation and tension will help them feel more relaxed. Because of this, psychoeducation may be beneficial to persons with anxiety disorders, particularly those with a mental disease that categorizes to the education they get (Ledgerwood, 2018). “Problem solving” refers to humans’ cognitive systems for uncovering, assessing and addressing issues; so the client may come up with a more legitimate solution to their issue by using this strategy. To see Shar B’s raw and scaled scores, click here. However, raw scores are those that have not been manipulated. Survey, test, or other instrument results which haven’t been weighted or turned into any other form are called raw scores (Schnitker, 2021). Observed scores are sometimes known as raw scores. It is important to note that raw or observed scores are accurate representations of the real scores because of the measurement error (Schnitker, 2021). The raw data was obtained from the clinical interview and the results were obtained as follows in the table below. There are many different ways to calculate a scaled score, but a raw score is the total number of questions an applicant correctly answered (the raw score). Individual questions vary in complexity, therefore the forms are not always equal in difficulty (Schnitker, 2021). Miss B was assessed on a variety of abilities, including communication, community usage, functional academics, home living, health and safety, leisure, self-care, self-direction, and social and professional interactions. She scored well in all of these categories (Schnitker, 2021.  The results displayed in the table showed the home living and health safety was badly performed.

Interpretation

According to the test results, Shar demonstrates a good score of intelligence, comprehension ability and generally she comes off as a highly intelligent person with an introverted persona (Tracy, 2021). Miss B exemplifies high academic achievement and good ability in multitasking as she is currently a student and a part-time cashier and still has a social life with her two closest friend (Schnitker, 2021). According to the test results, the memories of her assault episode trigger her panic attacks. This effects can be seen as she could not concentrate through the conversation and it was affecting her productivity at work (Ledgerwood, 2018).

Miss B`s concern may be reduced if the referral questions are answered correctly. Stressful situations can be difficult to deal with, but supportive psychotherapy uses a wide range of activities to help the patient better cope effectively with them (Schnitker, 2021. These activities include attentive listening and empowering thoughts and feelings, helping the individual gain an understanding of the situation they are in, helping them boost their self-esteem, and encouraging hope

As depicted in the table above the domain composite constituted of conceptual social, conceptual practical and social practical. The score were done in 2 shifts where the conceptual social had a score of 80 and 85 in both score and score 2 respectively which showed Shar B scored above average. Both conceptual practical and social practical had scored above the average which both had a base rate in standardization of 95% which is a good look.

For the sum of scaled scores the General Adaptive Composite obtained a standard score of 70% the conceptual had a standard of 80% while the social and practical obtained a standard of 69% and 75% respectively. According to the percentile rank the GAC obtained the highest rank which is 99% while the practical side obtained the lowest rank which is 80%

Summary

To help patients cope with stressors, supportive psychotherapy uses several vital activities, including attentive listening and encouraging thoughts and feelings; assisting the individual to gain a better understanding of their situation and alternatives; bolstering the individual’s self-esteem and resilience; fostering a sense of hope, and working to instil a sense of self-acceptance. Supportive work will be done to assist the client in changing his negative thought patterns and reduce her worried sensations in this instance (Ledgerwood & Eastwick,2018).

Anxiety may be reduced by shifting tense and relaxed states. It will help the customer by calming them down by modifying their muscular tension and relaxation. First, the client may choose to sit or lay down in the most comfortable position for them. Muscles are tight and released successively across different regions of the body while the eyes remain closed. The client’s depression will be alleviated as a result of this treatment. Stress-related health issues may be avoided by practising regular and attentive breathing. As a natural tranquillizer for the nervous system, deep breathing may be practised. It is beneficial for both the body and the psyche. Deep breathing will be employed in this scenario to alleviate the client’s anxiety and stress.

Patients with anxiety may benefit from psychoeducation. For those who have a mental disorder, psychoeducation refers to the education they get. Psychiatric education is critical in the treatment of worried individuals. The patient’s quality of life will improve if he has more information about his ailment. Having a better understanding of anxiety’s negative consequences can assist the client in overcoming it.

Assisting the individual in gaining a better understanding of their situation and alternatives, helping to strengthen the individual’s self-esteem and resilience, and working to instil a sense of hope are all critical elements of supportive psychotherapy. In this scenario, supportive work will be done to persuade the client to change her violent and threatening behaviour and help overcome her depression and addiction.

The term “problem solving” refers to humans’ mental process to uncover, evaluate, and then solve issues. Problem-solving is a multi-step process that includes finding a problem, making a choice to address it, assessing its severity, and deciding how to proceed. In this example, the client can develop a more acceptable solution to the issue by using this strategy (Al-Ghareeb et al,.2021).

Treatment Plan

It has been determined that Miss B’s anxiousness is a current concern that needs to be addressed. History of anxiety with no history of therapy and no prescription for medication is the primary indicator.

As a result, Miss B will lower the overall degree, frequency, and severity of worry to not disrupt everyday life. Anxiety management skills will be learned and practised at least two times a week to lower symptoms to fewer than three times per week. The goal of the therapist’s work with Miss B is to assist her in acquiring and articulating at least two communication methods that can help her cope with anxiety less often than once a day. The therapist/counsellor will work with her to uncover and dispel irrational thoughts and assumptions fuel fear (Wilcox & Wang,2021).

Anxiety is caused by irrational thoughts and conclusions that the therapist will help her uncover and eradicate via treatment. Monitoring and documentation of progress are planned. Miss B will engage with a therapist/counsellor to discover past and present issues at the root of her current worry. Therapy will aid Miss B in generating positive, reality-based cognitive messages that will help her gain self-confidence and reduce her stress level. Efforts will be kept track of (Fulmer et al.,2018).

References

Ledgerwood, A., Eastwick, P. W., & Smith, L. K. (2018). Toward an integrative framework for studying human evaluation: Attitudes toward objects and attributes. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 22(4), 378-398.

Wilcox, K. T., & Wang, L. (2021). Modeling approaches for cross-sectional integrative data analysis: Evaluations and recommendations. Psychological Methods.

Al-Ghareeb, A. Z., Cooper, S. J., & McKenna, L. G. (2017). Anxiety and clinical performance in simulated setting in undergraduate health professionals education: An integrative review. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 13(10), 478-491.

Fulmer, R., Joerin, A., Gentile, B., Lakerink, L., & Rauws, M. (2018). Using psychological artificial intelligence (Tess) to relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety: randomized controlled trial. JMIR mental health, 5(4), e64.

Schnitker, S. A., Williams, E. G., & Medenwaldt, J. M. (2021). Personality and social psychology approaches to religious and spiritual development in adolescents. Adolescent Research Review, 1-19.

Tracy, J. L., & Weidman, A. C. (2021). The self?conscious and social emotions: A personality and social functionalist account.