Mental Health Condition Case Study

Running Head: MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION CASE STUDY 1
MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION CASE STUDY
Name
Institutional Affiliation

MENTAL HEALH CONDITION CASE STUDY 2
Mental health condition case study
Q1. As required by the Victorian Mental Health Act - VMHA(2014) what is the first step in
initiating compulsory mental health treatment for James? and explain the purpose of this
order?
The first step is an assessment order that will grant the medical practitioner the power to
conduct a compulsory assessment on James to determine whether he needs compulsory mental
health treatment. With the order, James can be taken and detained in a designated mental health
facility if necessary (Gooding, 2016)
Q2. According to the VMHA(2014) James should be provided with a statement of his
rights. As the nurse caring for James how would you provide him with his statement of
rights?
First, I will tell James that a statement of rights is a document that stipulates a patient’s
rights while being checked or treated for mental illness under the mental health act, (2014)
(Korean Health Rights Working Group, 2019). I will then explain to him that as a patient, he has
the right to: communicate lawfully, select a nominated person, revoke compulsory treatment,
legal representation and support from a caregiver, a family member or friend in the hearing of
the mental health tribunal, and protest to the mental health complaint commissioner in case he
feels unsatisfied by the care given to him.

MENTAL HEALH CONDITION CASE STUDY 3
Q3. If James was unable to understand the information about his rights what would you
do?
I would explain the statement of rights to his nominated person (his mother), and later to
James when he is in the position to understand the information. His mother, being the nominated
person, would make decisions concerning medical care on his behalf, including the treatment
method. As a nominated person, his mother has the instructions from James himself on how he
would want to be treated and cared for. His mother would, therefore, help in deciding whether to
proceed with the treatment.
Q4. Circle/tick which 3 of the following would be expected to be listed on James’s
Advanced Statement?
i. Treatment that has been effective in the past√
ii. Treatment that has been less effective in the past√
iii. Contact details for his nominated person
iv. His views and preferences about electroconvulsive treatment√
v. Statement of rights
Q5. What 5 areas of risk would you assess for when completing James’s Risk Assessment?
What level of risk do you consider James to be at (Low/Medium/High)?
List 4 risk factors would you document in James’s notes when writing the risk assessment
to support your decision in rating him as either low/medium/high?

MENTAL HEALH CONDITION CASE STUDY 4
5 Areas of Risk
1. Self-harm and suicide (Higgins et al., 2015): James is apprehended by the police when
he is found murmuring about how he was going to strangle himself to death. James had
previously attempted to commit suicide. He also shows a lack of interest in taking care of
himself; for instance, he is no longer concerned with his dental hygiene as before.
2. Vulnerability: James is becoming less and less capable of making correct decisions,
which makes him susceptible to being manipulated.
3. Risk to others
4. Mental instability
5. Risk by others
James is at _______level of risk.
James is at a high level of risk.
4 Risk Factors
1. Traumatic head injury
2. Substance abuse
3. Harm to self (de Vries Robbé, 2016)
4. Loss of friends a job due to his mental condition
Q6. What are 7 of James’s protective factors?
1. He has a close family, and a strong friendship circle, which is ready to take care of him
2. James is financially stable. He, together with his partner, plan to buy a house.