As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, you will likely encounter patients who suffer from various mental health disorders. Not surprisingly, ensuring that your patients have the appropriate psychopharmacologic treatments will be essential for their overall health and well-being. The psychopharmacologic treatments you might recommend for patients may have potential impacts on other mental health conditions and, […]

Insomnia 31-year-old Male 76-year-old Iranian Male BACKGROUND This week, we examine a 31-year-old male who presents to the office with a chief complaint of insomnia. SUBJECTIVE Patient is a 31-year-old male. He states that his insomnia has gotten progressively worse over the past 6 months. Per the patient, he has never been a “great sleeper” […]

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder A Young Girl With ADHD A Young Girl With ADHD BACKGROUND Katie is an 8 year old Caucasian female who is brought to your office today by her mother & father. They report that they were referred to you by their primary care provider after seeking her advice because Katie’s teacher […]

53-year-old Puerto Rican Female Puerto Rican female BACKGROUND Mrs. Maria Perez is a 53 year old Puerto Rican female who presents today due to a rather “embarrassing problem.” SUBJECTIVE Mrs. Perez admits that she has had “problems” with alcohol since her father died in her late teens. She reports that she has struggled with alcohol […]

In many realms of medicine, objective diagnoses can be made: A clavicula is broken. An infection is present. TSH levels meet the diagnostic criteria for hypothyroidism. Psychiatry, on the other hand, deals with psychological phenomena and behaviors. Can these, too, be “defined objectively and by scientific criteria (Gergen, 1985), or are they social constructions?” (Sadock […]