Mental Health Case Study: Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder

Running head: MENTAL HEALTH CASE STUDY 1
Mental Health Case study
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MENTAL HEALTH CASE STUDY 2
Mental Health Case Study
Generalized Anxiety disorder and Panic disorder
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful situations and may abound certain benefits. For
instance, in the case of Peter, who is an electrician, anxiety may help him to be prepared for any
danger and hence pay close attention to his work. On the other hand, uncontrolled anxiety can be
a major mental health problem. This essay would evaluate the case of Peter to assess the
differences between generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder given the symptomatic
characteristics.
Generalized anxiety disorder entails the occurrence of persistence and excessive worry
that eventually interferes with the daily activities of a patient. It should be noted that the worry is
often associated with physical manifestations such as restlessness, fatigue, insomnia, difficulties
in concentration as well as tension in the muscles. Stein and Sareen (2015), notes that the worries
associated with the mental issue surround daily work responsibilities, family members and other
minor issues. These symptoms can be deduced from the case of Peter. According to the case
study, Peter experiences insomnia and digestive issues, reports excessive and persistent worry,
and fears making any mistakes. These symptoms all point to generalized anxiety disorder.
Further, the worries affecting Mr. Peter are all arising from daily responsibilities as an electrician
and the overall aspects of his life.
On the other hand, panic disorder describes recurrent panic attacks that occur without any
actual danger taking place. Er (2015), notes that panic disorder accompanies a sudden onset of

MENTAL HEALTH CASE STUDY 3
fear in the patient manifesting accelerated heart beat, shortness of breath, sweating, numbness,
and detachment from self. The case of Peter manifests symptoms of sweating and accelerated
heartbeat only as components of panic disorder. However, according to Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a panic disorder case must at least manifest four
symptoms for its qualification. Hence, the case of Peter cannot be categorized as a panic
disorder.
As noted above, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder share some common
characteristics yet distinct from each other. For instance, generalized anxiety disorder manifests
persistent worry over daily activities, while panic disorder manifests persistent panic attacks.
Also, individuals with panic disorder may fear to go insane and losing control while generalized
anxiety disorder patients may experience worries that only affect their concentration making
them feel sick. Given that Peter shows no sign of losing control and any occasions of panic
attacks, he only suffers from generalized anxiety disorder.

MENTAL HEALTH CASE STUDY 4
Significance of Empathy
Effective and efficient management of a health condition requires the development of a
relationship with the patient. The engagement would ensure the development of a therapeutic
relationship between the patient and the medical professional. Getting into a therapeutic
relationship with a patient prompts the need to understand their feelings and situations first
(Levett-Jones, 2018). This essay would analyze the significance of empathy towards
development of therapeutic relationship with a patient (Peter).
The case study reveals that Peter is constantly worried. Given the nature of his job as an
electrician that needs high concentration, he must be very worried about his safety. The nurse
must engage in the relational world of Peter to view and feel the world as he does. As such, the
nurse would be able to explore the meanings and impact the feelings and experiences have for
Peter as an individual. Empathy would allow a nurse to get into the subjective experience of
Peter as a patient so that they validate if their understanding accurately reflects what Peter is
going through. The process of developing empathy would entail resonating with the subjective
experiences of Peter to be able to deliver a non-judgmental understanding of their health and
wellbeing. Consequently, empathy allows the nurse to develop a working human bond with Peter
as he would feel understood and cared for by the nurse without being judged (Nienhuis et al.,
2018).
Besides, empathy would place the nurse into the shoes of Peter to influence the
development and implementation of appropriate solutions. Acceptance of the situation requires