In this module, you learned more about the use of assessments in diagnosis and reviewed some of the types of assessments used in conjunction with the DSM. Understanding how assessments can assist in the diagnostic process highlights the use of an integrative approach when gathering the information needed for diagnosis.
In a minimum of 400 words, post to the Discussion Area your response to the following:
Read the following case:
Nancy is a 27-year-old, White female. She began drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana at the age of 14. At the age of 16, Nancy was diagnosed with major depressive disorder. She withdrew from her friends and family and became easily angered and began fighting with her parents. Her grades declined, and she started skipping class. While her parents were concerned about her grades, they both worked and were absent from the home a significant amount of time. Nancy began spending hours in her room drawing and imagining she was a well-known artist. She reportedly increased her marijuana use because she felt most creative when she was “high.” Nancy did not attend college because she believed she was already talented enough and did not require formal education.
Nancy worked at a local dollar store as a cashier. She did not like the work but stated it was easy. She lived at home with her parents and continued to drink alcohol and smoke marijuana on a “regular basis”. She continued to draw and believed that her drawings “held special meaning” and “spoke” to her. She reportedly only slept approximately 2 hours a night over the past 3 weeks.
One night, Nancy’s parents returned home to find her running naked down the street, with only some of her drawings stuck to her body. When her parents approached her, Nancy became combative and began speaking incoherently. The police were called, and she was transported to the hospital where she was placed on an emergency hold. Nancy was hospitalized for 30 days due to difficulty stabilizing her psychotic symptoms.
Be sure to address the following questions in your response:
What are Nancy’s diagnoses, with specifiers? Provide your diagnostic rationale, and differential diagnoses.
Provide any additional information you need to make a definitive diagnosis, and/or reason you have any provisional diagnoses.
Out of Nancy’s diagnoses, which one needs to be treated first and why?
Which DSM assessments would you have Nancy take and why? How could the information obtained from the assessment be used in treatment?
Upon Nancy’s discharge from the hospital, what referrals would you provide to her, and why?
Your discussion should clearly reflect your thoughtful and logical analysis of the information.
Support your rationale and analysis by using at least two resources from professional literature in your response. Professional literature may include peer-reviewed journal articles that you can access through the Argosy University online library resources; relevant textbooks; and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu or .gov).