HLT301 Mental Health Case Analysis: Assessment and Care Planning

This assignment analyzes a mental health case study, focusing on the assessment of a patient's mental state and the planning of appropriate care strategies. The student addresses the clinical scenario of Alison Wells, who presents with mental health concerns, including symptoms of depression, suicidal ideation, and difficulties in maintaining relationships and responsibilities. The analysis covers various aspects of mental state assessment, such as mood, affect, speech patterns, and cognitive functioning, referencing relevant research and methodologies. The assignment explores the patient's history, symptoms, and behaviors, including her attempt at suicide, and discusses the importance of risk assessment. It emphasizes the application of interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy, and the need for health education and support services. The student also highlights the importance of a recovery-oriented approach, emphasizing patient involvement and the development of coping skills.

Running head: MENTAL HEALTH CASE ANALYSIS
MENTAL HEALTH CASE ANALYSIS
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

1MENTAL HEALTH CASE ANALYSIS
Answer 1
Mental state assessment is the process which is used by the psychologists to analyze the
behavioral and cognitive functioning of the patients that appear in the healthcare facilities for
mental healthcare processes (Hutton and Taylor 2014). This is an effective methodology as it
helps to develop a critical interview method with observation so that assessment of patients could
be accurately conducted. In this process, cognitive assessment is conducted through general
behavior and consciousness, with speech analysis. On the other hand, with the ability of patients
reasoning ability, alertness, memory and alertness, the cognitive functioning is determined
(Trzepacz et al. 2015).
Answer 2
This assignment discusses about the clinical scenario of Alison Wells, who is present to a
psychiatrist chamber for her mental health concerns. In the case scenario provided, it was seen
that while visiting the psychologist, she seemed confused and nervous. She seemed not interested
in the interview process and was constantly fidgeting on her chair. She was wearing clean
clothes, however her hair seems messy and overall her complete appearance was miserable,
confused, nervous and timid. One major aspect of her appearance mentioned that she did not
make any eye contact with the psychiatrist (Callaghan and Waldock 2019).
Answer 3
As per Thagard and Larocque (2018) while conducting the mental health assessment for
Alison Wells her mood and her affect should be properly discussed. As mentioned in the paper
of Hutton and Taylor (2014), mood and affect are interconnected to each other and in this aspect
in patients with mental and cognitive inability, mood and affect are properly distinguishable.

2MENTAL HEALTH CASE ANALYSIS
Where mood is a cumulative emotion that affects the person for a longer time, affect is a rapid
and sudden aspect that could creates reaction in the patient instantly. In this case study, Alison’s
affect was observed through her facial expressions, her tearfulness and her pain and sorrow.
Answer 4
In this case study of Alison, her speech was one of her aspect that was significantly
observed in the case study. She was seen speaking in phrases and with long pauses. She was
trying to control her tearfulness and nervousness and for that she was speaking in pauses and
phrases (Bedi et al. 2015).
Answer 5
While analyzing the Mental State Assessment conducted for Alison, several series related
to her symptoms of depression were observed. In the research paper of Fried et al. (2016) it was
mentioned that she is continuously tearfulness, with affected mood and nervousness. Besides this
it was also observed that she is feeling agony and pain due to her inability to take care of her
children and her relationship with her boyfriend. Further, she also seen to less concentrated, and
improper and distorted thought process. Therefore, from the DSM V analysis related to her
though process and mental health condition, her depression condition was assessment.
Answer 6
While conducting the mental healthcare condition and analyzing the assessment, Alison
Wells clearly mentioned that she is unable to maintain her health condition and in this situation,
she tried to kill herself by consuming overdose of alcohol and overdose of medication
paracetamol. From these aspects, it could be observed that her mental state is distorted and this

3MENTAL HEALTH CASE ANALYSIS
could be one of the reasons for her suicidal thinking. Further, it was observed that she is unable
to take care of her children and her relationship due to her mental and physical illness, distorted
thinking and others. Hence, these aspects are observed in this case (Sommers-Flanagan and
Shaw 2018).
Answer 7
In the case study of Alison and her mental health assessment process, it was observed that
Alison consumed paracetamol as well as alcohol in higher dosage to attempt suicide. This could
be important and critical information that will be used in future for her clinical risk assessment
process. It was mentioned in the paper of Sommers-Flanagan and Shaw (2018) that clinical risk
assessment is a strategy that helps to analyze the patient and their mental concerns. Further, the
clinical risk assessment helps to analyze the suicidal incidences attempted by the patients so that
with their suicidal aspects and distorted thought process, psychiatrists can understand the beliefs
of the patients about death and life. Hence, through the analysis of the risk factors psychiatrists
could develop interventions for their mental health as if this is left untreated; it could affect their
mental health condition. Further, her improper gait, confidence and nervousness, her mental
health condition affected.
Answer 8
Mental state assessment of Alison wells should be inclusive of emotional and cognitive
assessment process and it should be conducted by the psychiatrists so that her mental health and
mental abilities could be effectively analyzed. Besides this, as per Diehl-Schmid et al. (2017), it
should be mentioned that while analyzing the patients with mental concerns, psychologists
should implement assessment methods for the patients for their mental and cognitive abilities as

4MENTAL HEALTH CASE ANALYSIS
these two are interconnected to each other and people could be provided with effective
interventions so that people could overcome their mental concerns. As per these assessment
methods, Alison would be asked to provide her approach to her mental health concerns and
would be analyses for her replies and her take on her mental health conditions. In this condition,
her tearfulness, her ability to construct her thought process and her ability to judge any critical
situation would be analyzed. Hence, these are the aspects that would be included for Alison’s
overall judgement about her mental health condition (Bedi et al. 2015).
Answer 9
While analyzing the clinical scenario of Alison and the mental health psychosocial
interview conducted within the process, several physical, mental and emotional concerns with
severity level moderate to high was observed. In this process of psychiatric interview, if
biophysical mental state assessment is conducted, then it could be easily visible that her
appearance and her behavior is messy, timid, nervous, and confused due to which she is always
depressed and mentally stressed. Further, it was also mentioned that she is suffering from
financial concerns and due to this she is unable to focus on her children’s need and requirement
related to their education or other aspects. Besides this she is also unable to focus on her
relationship with her boyfriend due to which their equations are hampered. However, while
analyzing her mental health and concern, her concerns related to her static and dynamic concerns
should be properly discussed. In the case study, her static concerns were associated with
loneliness and her financial debts as well as her dynamic aspects were associated with her mood,
her loss of confidence as well as her gait. Further the severe health condition could be analysed
from her attempt of suicide as she tried to finish her life twice with overdose of medicine and
overdose of alcohol. Due to her mental health condition, multiple stressors developed due to

5MENTAL HEALTH CASE ANALYSIS
which she started developing physical health condition and hence, due to all these aspects, her
mental and physical health condition affected
Answer 10
As mentioned in the case study of Alison and in her psychological interview conducted
with the help of psychiatric expert and in the process of her clinical observation, in the case
scenario; all the mental and physical health condition of Alison was mentioned. The first aspect
that should be critically discussed and addressed in this situation is her depression condition
(Meichenbaum 2017). This is also important so that her equation with her children and boyfriend
could be analysed and she can maintain her mental health condition effectively. Further, in this
condition, the research of (2014) should be critically mentioned that as for mental health
condition of Alison, accurate intervention application such as cognitive behavioral therapy as per
the recovery oriented process would be effectively implemented so that with proper application
of these theories and effective interventions, Alison could develop coping skills and abilities.
This developed coping skill would be able to help Alison to maintain and develop effective
abilities to overcome mental and physical stress related condition. Another research conducted
by (2015), clearly identified that recovery oriented mental health therapies are helpful in patients
to make them a part of their own healthcare intervention process and them provide them with
abilities to develop self goals and determination skills so that patients could develop and
maintain their abilities (Dobson and Dobson 2017). Therefore, with application of this aspect
Alison would become important stakeholders in the healthcare process and her mental and
physical complications become important stakeholders in the healthcare process and hence
providing her with higher importance would help her develop effective interventions to improve
her health conditions. Moreover, with proper application and applications of cognitive behavioral

6MENTAL HEALTH CASE ANALYSIS
therapy in the mental healthcare process is termed as one such effective approach using which
patients suffering from mental health condition are able to obtain intervention for their effective
and cognitive and constructive thinking abilities (Hutton and Taylor 2014). Finally, while
analyzing these conditions, she would also be provided with health education and proper health
literacy about the organisation of single mother stipend facilities so that her financial debts could
be compensated.

7MENTAL HEALTH CASE ANALYSIS
References
Bedi, G., Carrillo, F., Cecchi, G.A., Slezak, D.F., Sigman, M., Mota, N.B., Ribeiro, S., Javitt,
D.C., Copelli, M. and Corcoran, C.M., 2015. Automated analysis of free speech predicts
psychosis onset in high-risk youths. npj Schizophrenia, 1, p.15030.
Callaghan, P. and Waldock, H., 2019. Mental health assessment. Physical Assessment for Nurses
and Healthcare Professionals.
Diehl-Schmid, J., Jox, R., Gauthier, S., Belleville, S., Racine, E., Schüle, C., Turecki, G. and
Richard-Devantoy, S., 2017. Suicide and assisted dying in dementia: what we know and what we
need to know. A narrative literature review. International psychogeriatrics, 29(8), pp.1247-1259.
Dobson, D. and Dobson, K.S., 2018. Evidence-based practice of cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Guilford Publications.
Fried, E.I., Epskamp, S., Nesse, R.M., Tuerlinckx, F. and Borsboom, D., 2016. What
are'good'depression symptoms? Comparing the centrality of DSM and non-DSM symptoms of
depression in a network analysis. Journal of affective disorders, 189, pp.314-320.
Hutton, P. and Taylor, P.J., 2014. Cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis prevention: a
systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological medicine, 44(3), pp.449-468.
Meichenbaum, D., 2017. Teaching thinking: A cognitive behavioral perspective. In The
Evolution of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (pp. 85-104). Routledge.
Sommers-Flanagan, J. and Shaw, S.L., 2017. Suicide risk assessment: What psychologists should
know. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 48(2), p.98.

8MENTAL HEALTH CASE ANALYSIS
Thagard, P. and Larocque, L., 2018. Mental health assessment: Inference, explanation, and
coherence. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, 24(3), pp.649-654.
Trzepacz, P.T., Hochstetler, H., Wang, S., Walker, B. and Saykin, A.J., 2015. Relationship
between the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Mini-mental State Examination for assessment
of mild cognitive impairment in older adults. BMC geriatrics, 15(1), p.107.