NURS 6630: Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology | Week 11

As a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, you will frequently work with clients who have comorbid conditions. For instance, you may treat a 19-year-old male with Down syndrome and increasing violent behaviors; a middle-aged female with schizophrenia, diabetes, and poor renal function; or an older adult with a mental disorder, stage I Alzheimer’s disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In cases like these, you must draw from foundational knowledge of pathophysiology and collaborate with other healthcare providers to ensure optimal safely and efficacy of psychopharmacological therapies for clients. NURS 6630:Week 11: Therapy for Clients With Comorbid Conditions.

This week, as you study therapy for patients with comorbid conditions, you examine psychopharmacologic approaches to treatment for clients across the lifespan.

Final Exam

This exam will cover the following topics, which relate to psychopharmacologic approaches to treatment for clients across the lifespan:

• Therapy for Clients with Pain and Sleep/Wake Disorders
• Therapy for Clients with Impulsivity, Compulsivity, and Addiction
• Therapy for Clients with ADHD
• Therapy for Clients with Dementia
• Therapy for Clients with Comorbid Conditions

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Assess psychopharmacologic approaches to treatment for clients across the lifespan

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Note: All Stahl resources can be accessed through the Walden Library using this link. This link will take you to a log-in page for the Walden Library. Once you log into the library, the Stahl website will appear.

Stahl, S. M. (2014a). Stahl’s illustrated violence: Neural circuits, genetics and treatment. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

To access the following chapter, click on the Illustrated Guides tab and then the Violence tab.

• Chapter 3, “Treatment of Violence and Aggression”

Stahl, S. M. (2014b). The prescriber’s guide (5th ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

To access information on the following medications, click on The Prescriber’s Guide, 5th ed tab on the Stahl Online website and select the appropriate medication.

Review the following medications:

For Alzheimer’s disease

• donepezil
• galantamine
• memantine
• rivastigmine

For Parkinson’s disease with dementia

• rivastigmine

Crocker, A. G., Prokić, A., Morin, D., & Reyes, A. (2014). Intellectual disability and co-occurring mental health and physical disorders in aggressive behaviour. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 58(11), 1032–1044. doi:10.1111/jir.12080

Erickson, S. C., Le, L., Zakharyan, A., Stockl, K. M., Harada, A. M., Borson, S., & … Curtis, B. (2012). New-onset treatment-dependent diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia associated with atypical antipsychotic use in older adults without schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 60(3), 474–479. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03842.x

Hulvershorn, L. A., Schroeder, K. M., Wink, L. K., Erickson, C. A., & McDougle, C. J. (2015). Psychopharmacologic treatment of children prenatally exposed to drugs of abuse. Human Psychopharmacology, 30(3), 164–172. doi:10.1002/hup.2467

Malhotra, A. K., Zhang, J., & Lencz, T. (2012). Pharmacogenetics in psychiatry: Translating research into clinical practice. Molecular Psychiatry, 17(8), 760–769. doi:10.1038/mp.2011.146

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2013). Substance abuse treatment for persons with co-occurring disorders: A treatment improvement protocol. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 42. Rockville, MD: Author. Retrieved from http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content//SMA13-3992/SMA13-3992.pdf

Document: Final Exam Study Guide (PDF)

Optional Resources

Stahl, S. M. (2014a). Stahl’s illustrated violence: Neural circuits, genetics and treatment. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

To access the following chapters, click on the Illustrated Guides tab and then the Violence tab.

• Chapter 1, “Which Individuals Will Become Violent or Aggressive?”
• Chapter 2, “Neurobiology and Genetics of Violence and Aggression”

Final Exam:

This exam will cover the following topics, which relate to psychopharmacologic approaches to treatment for clients across the lifespan:

• Therapy for Clients with Pain and Sleep/Wake Disorders
• Therapy for Clients with Impulsivity, Compulsivity, and Addiction
• Therapy for Clients with ADHD
• Therapy for Clients with Dementia
• Therapy for Clients with Comorbid Conditions

By Day 7

Complete the Final Exam. Prior to starting the exam, you should review all of your materials. There is a 2-hour time limit to complete this 76-question exam. You may only attempt this exam once.

This exam is a test of your knowledge in preparation for your certification exam. No outside resources including books, notes, websites, or any other type of resource are to be used to complete this exam. You are expected to comply with Walden University’s Code of Conduct. NURS 6630:Week 11: Therapy for Clients With Comorbid Conditions.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

Therapy for Clients With Comorbid Conditions

Introduction

People with comorbid conditions have a lot to deal with. They may be dealing with more than one medical problem, so it’s important for their healthcare providers to understand what each condition entails and how they can treat them effectively. Bodywork therapy is a good way to help clients manage their health issues and reduce the risk of long-term complications caused by comorbidities such as arthritis or cancer.

Comorbid conditions are health problems that may be caused by more than one medical problem.

Comorbid conditions are health problems that may be caused by more than one medical problem. These can include:

• Multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease

• Depression and anxiety disorders

• Heart disease and other organ problems (like diabetes)

Healthcare providers can usually treat two conditions at once.

Healthcare providers can usually treat two conditions at once. For example, if you have depression and anxiety, your healthcare provider may prescribe medication for one condition and psychotherapy for the other. Healthcare providers can also use physical therapy to treat both conditions at once.

Some comorbidities are more difficult to treat than others. Some kinds of comorbidities may require surgery or other types of treatment that aren’t covered by insurance companies; these treatments might also be expensive and time-consuming—and they might not even work! However, there are many different types of comorbidities (for example: diabetes or heart disease). Some people with these diseases need medication while others don’t need it at all; some people benefit from certain treatments like physical therapy while others don’t find any benefit from them at all; some people will never get better without medication being given regularly throughout his lifetime because his body needs constant repair work done on itself every day without fail no matter what happens during those periods when he does not take any medications either orally ingested capsules injected directly into muscle tissue injected subcutaneously under skin surface near hair follicles etcetera…

Comorbidities that can be treated include depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Comorbidities that can be treated include depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Other comorbidities that may be addressed through therapy include diabetes, arthritis and cancer. Treatment options for these conditions include bodywork therapy, medication or lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise.

There are various types of therapy available to address the physical symptoms associated with these disorders: massage therapy focuses on relaxation techniques; acupuncture uses needles to stimulate specific areas of the body; hypnosis takes place under doctor supervision where patients are instructed not to speak during sessions; psychotherapy involves talking about your problems with a trained therapist over many sessions until you feel better about yourself again

Arthritis and cancer are some of the more severe comorbidities that are often difficult to deal with.

Arthritis is a chronic disease that causes pain, stiffness and loss of function. Cancer is a disease that affects the body’s cells. It can be treated with surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Arthritis can also be treated with physical therapy and exercise, which can help patients improve their mobility as well as their quality of life by decreasing depression or anxiety levels associated with joint pain or stiffness.

Bodywork therapy can help people take control of their health and manage their comorbidities effectively

Bodywork therapy can help people take control of their health and manage their comorbidities effectively. It is a safe, effective treatment for people with a range of conditions, including chronic pain and anxiety disorders.

Bodywork therapists are trained to recognize the symptoms of stress and trauma that may be contributing to illness in their clients. They then work with clients on breathing exercises and other relaxation techniques that teach them how to stimulate their nervous system through movement or touch (e.g., by using acupressure). This helps them release tension from the body so that it can heal itself more fully than it would otherwise have been able to do without assistance from another person who knows what you are feeling inside your body!

Conclusion

Comorbidity is common in the medical community, and it can be difficult to manage. However, with the right treatment plan and support, you can manage your health effectively. Bodywork therapy may be an effective way to manage your comorbidities and lead a healthy life.