| |Assessment 3 - Case Study 2019.

Assessment 3 – Case Study 2019
Using an Inquiry Based Learning Approach
Learning strategy
What you need to do
to critically analyse
the Case Study
Thought processes
What you need to demonstrate to your lecturer
in terms of your critical thinking about this
Case Study
Learning Outcomes Section
Demonstrate your learning in each section by presenting the information that
you have examined to improve your knowledge and understanding of this
particular Case Study
STEP 1 - CONNECT
Analyse each of the
case study documents Amanda is 28year old woman who was discovered in unconscious state succumbing a head injury due to
hitting a coffee table. She suffered a large laceration above her left eye that required suturing. Her
movements ranged from being restless to quite still.
She was under medication of Quetiapine and Lithium carbonate XR. And she expressed her desire and
requests for discontinuation of the medication. She had a high intend to kill herself and had suicidal ideation.
She had difficulty to relate to information during the interview, faced reluctance to answer some questions
and was distressed. At times she was falling asleep. She also admitted that though in the past weeks she felt
fine but of late she was feeling low.
She had a relapse of the Bipolar disorder and was in a public mental health service. Presently she is on a
community treatment order where she was initially doing well but symptoms started to relapse. She
demonstrated early signs of mania and depression. She had also had diazepam from the general physician.
She was also into alcohol intake. She had a very supportive family who seemed exhausted because at times
Amanda blamed them for her medications and hospitalisations but did not give up hope and was willing to

support and care for her.
According to the doctor, Amanda had been a patient being attended by him since the past three years. The
reason for the relapse was work pressure. Her medications had long term side effects and hence, had to
change as required. The symptoms of depression seemed to improve with medication. She was
recommended CTO because of the erratic nature of the Bipolar disorder. During discharge she was at risk
because of poor nutrition and lack of sleep. She had elevated rates of confusion, distractedness as well as
increased paranoid conversation.
According to the Principal of the School where she had been working expressed their support and quoted
that she used to get along well with the kids and that she was enthusiastic in nature. But her colleagues of
late noticed as she used to be late to school, had erratic mood and seemed distracted but she was diligent
with her work. She denied her present state when enquired about.
STEP 2 - QUESTION
What are some of the
questions about this
Case Study that you
want to know more
information?
1. Was Amanda’s blood sample tested?
2. Was a urine sample taken for testing the
extent of substance abuse?
This is an important information that needs to be mentioned since
she was being administered Lithium carbonate XR. There should
be constant check of the amount of drug that is present in the

Identify the additional
information you need to
know about so that you
can plan your care
3. Has she been prescribed proper diet
plans?
blood to ensure the optimum activity of the same. High amounts of
lithium in the blood can target the kidney or the thyroid gland
causing it to malfunction (Grande et al, 2016). Blood sample and
urine sample of Amanda would lead as to successful treatment of
the patient and ensuring her a quality life. Since, Amanda used to
often resort to alcohol and sometimes took diazepam. She should
be guided to take proper diet. She should drink enough water so
that the administered medication does not hamper her health
condition (Vancampfort et al., 2016). She should have a minimum
of eight to twelve glasses of water. She should also be educated to
have optimal salt concentration in her food. This is because salt
and water impact the lithium levels in the blood circulation hence,
consumption of the two in steady amounts should be encouraged
(Goodwin et al., 2016).

STEP 3 -
INVESTIGATE
Review your current
knowledge about the
clients mental illness in
this Case Study
Research this disorder further. Record the
references at the end of this template
Answer the questions in the
Learning Outcomes Section on the right
Describe the disorder presented in this scenario and include in-text referencing
Amanda is suffering from relapse of Bipolar disorder. Bipolar
disorder is also known as the manic disorder that is considered as
a mental illness that is characterised by periods of depression as
well as periods of elevated moods. It is evident that this mental
illness can impact 2.5% of the global health (Correll et al., 2015).
The rate of occurrence seems to be same for men as well as
women. The most common age at which the prevalence of the
symptoms starts is the age of 25 years. The period of elevated
mood is also called as hypomania or mania (Ferrari et al., 2016). In
this period the individual tends to feel abnormally energetic and
happy or may be irritable. They may exhibit symptoms of poorly
thought out decisions. The symptoms may also include lack of