Posted: May 25th, 2022

The Bipolar hypothetical case study

Bipolar Case Study Bipolar

Bipolar hypothetical case study: Katherine

Bipolar disorder “is a chronic and recurrent serious mental disorder affecting up to 1% of the general population” (McDougall 2009). It is often misdiagnosed, particularly in adolescents, a time of life where moodiness is extremely common, and behavior that might seem unusual in other age groups, such as rapid changes in mood, black and white thinking, and unacceptable risk taking seem normal. Bipolar disorder also often goes unrecognized, misdiagnosed, and untreated because its symptoms may be mistaken for depression, during the depressive phase of the illness, and a personality disorder or schizophrenia during the manic phase. However, it is critical that it be treated early: “the peak age of onset is during adolescence and early adulthoodoutcome studies have shown that up to 20% of adults with bipolar disorder have experienced initial symptoms before the age of 19” (McDougall 2009).

Case study

Katherine was referred to the mental health center of her university by her roommate in the period shortly before the university was to have its Thanksgiving break, right after midterms. A freshman at a large, city university, Katherine had quickly become an integral part of the college community. She made friends quickly, and was very social and gregarious during freshman orientation. She was often seen drinking at fraternity parties with older students, and was always quick to buy her many new friends some drinks, using a fake ID. According to her roommate, Katherine had experimented casually with drugs, even though she said she had not done so before coming to the university.

Katherine had taken five challenging courses, one more than students usually take at the university. She had done well at first, hardly sleeping and studying long into the night. She would often be talking on her cellphone, writing a paper, and pace back and forth as she spoke. However, her grades began to plummet around Halloween, as after getting ‘dumped’ by her recent boyfriend, Katherine spent most of her day in bed, not going to classes, and getting up late at night and drinking. She had stopped going to meals as well. When questioned about her behavior, instead of her usual friendly and talkative self, Katherine told her roommate to simply ‘back off.’

At first, the roommate thought that Katherine was simply suffering the symptoms of a typical heartbreak. However, then Katherine began to grow agitated. She wrote long letters to her former boyfriend and his new girlfriend, accusing them of betraying her. She also said her professors were ‘out to get her’ and did not understand her ideas. Katherine had increasing trouble settling to do her work, even though she took piles of books from the library. She often spent the nights going to parties, although she said she was worried about failing. During a particularly restless night, Katherine expressed suicidal ideation, saying she would kill herself if she failed a class. That was when her roommate called the health center.

Interviewing her at the health center revealed irrational thought patterns. Katherine’s parents were called. Interviews with her concerned parents revealed that Katherine had often exhibited unstable moods. ‘She is the type of person who is always really happy or really sad — everything is black and white,’ said her mother, although they had attributed this to the normal angst of adolescence. They were concerned when Katherine’s roommate, a fellow teen, saw their daughter’s behavior as abnormal. The mental health center referred Katherine to the local hospital psychiatric ward. Her parents came to see her. A search of her room revealed an unpaid credit card bill of $3,000, mostly on new clothes and entertainment.

Diagnosis

As noted in the Journal of Family Practice (2007), “patients with mood disorders can experience a widely varying pattern of mood episodes. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR[R]), presents criteria for each category of mood episode, i.e., major depressive, manic, mixed, and hypomanic. Diagnosis is not based on the presenting episode alone. Rather, the different types of mood episodes serve as building blocks of information that one uses to arrive at the diagnosis.”

Katherine’s diagnosis was thus derived from a pattern of episodes, not one symptom in isolation. Commensurate with the DMV-IV Bipolar I Disorder, Most Recent Episode Manic: Katherine’s “most recent episode” exhibited the characteristics of mania in line with bipolar disorder. She had also suffered at least one major depressive episode and manic episode before, but her mood patterns did not indicate the presence of the highly disordered thought patterns of schizoaffective disorder. She has also recently experienced a “depressive episode characterized by the presence, while depressed, of two (or more) of the following:” poor appetite, insomnia and hypersomnia, low energy and fatigue, low self-esteem, poor concentration, difficulty making decisions, feelings of hopelessness, and a lack of energy that stood in notable contrast to her agitated, incessant movement and energy during her manic phase.

During her manic phase, Katherine showed clear signs of inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, a decreased need for sleep, was more talkative than usual, had a lack of need for sleep, was agitated in a manner observable to others, had racing thoughts and a flight of ideas accompanied with goal-directed social and academic activity, and also showed features of involvement in pleasurable activities such as binge drinking, shopping, sexual activities, and other types of “excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences” as per the DMV-IV.

Review of issues in care and expert opinions

The willingness of Katherine’s family to be involved speaks well of the potential of her case to have a good outcome. To confirm the diagnosis, her parents were asked to complete a Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), through which they confirmed Katherine’s rapidly shifting moods throughout her adolescence. Katherine would often be best friends with girls, and then have a falling-out with them. Her school record, though strong, was often characterized by bursts of activity, followed by long periods of ‘mental health days.’

Katherine was prescribed a mood stabilizer, to immediately address her condition and to make her a more active part of her treatment. Her parents were referred to therapists in the area that dealt specifically with managing college students and mental disorders. In treating a bipolar adolescent, it is essential that everyone around that individual get ‘on board’ with their treatment. One of the problems is that mania can feel positive. When confronted with her diagnosis, Katherine said that she enjoyed the increased creativity and goal-directed behavior regarding her school assignments. It was difficult to show the patient that this increased activity was fleeting. “Adherence appears to vary with the age of the patient and duration of illnessClinical experience suggests that a younger patient in a first episode simply wants to get on with life and has particular difficulty accepting the chronicity of the illness” (Sherman 2007, p.3). Additionally, “patient beliefs about the illness and medication are often critical in determining adherence behavior…Some may have the incorrect idea that lithium or Depakote [divalproex] is addicting, for example” (Sherman 2007, p.1).

Finding a correct treatment and medication regime can be difficult. It would have to be determined between the university, Katherine’s professors, and her treatment team, how best to salvage her semester, although with proper treatment, being a full-time undergraduate with managed bipolar disorder is certainly possible.

Recommendations for nursing and own personal growth

Adhering to a schedule to reduce external stimulation that can trigger a manic episode and having understanding treatment staff and a university community is essential in monitoring college students like Katherine with bipolar disorder. Treating the bipolar college student is a joint effort between the community, family, and the student herself. College presents many mood pitfalls that can make things difficult even for a relatively stable adolescent. Having a clear schedule and support system is important for a bipolar teen. Also, managing medication and side effects can be especially tricky, as some can trigger mania, if incorrectly prescribed.

Families should be taught to recognize the signs of an episode in their adolescent. The adolescent him or herself must be capable of self-monitoring and treatment compliance. Finally, the school needs to be aware of the need for accommodation and creating an effective support structure, regarding the student’s scheduling, room assignments, and other requirements for attending the university.

Works Cited

DSM-IV Code: Bipolar. Available from psychnet on March 30, 2009 at http://www.psychnet-uk.com/dsm_iv/dysthymic_cyclothymic_episodes.htm#Manic%20Episode:

McDougall, Tim. (2009). Nursing children and adolescents with bipolar disorder: Assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric

Nursing, 22(1), 33-9. Retrieved March 30, 2009, from ProQuest Medical

Library database. (Document ID: 1663483211).

Recognizing and understanding bipolar disorder. (2007). Journal of Family Practice.

FindArticles.com. Retrieved March 30, 2009 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0689/is_11_56/ai_n21106670

Sherman, Carl. (2007, April). Achieving adherence in bipolar disorder. Clinical Psychiatry.

FindArticles.com. Retrieved March 30, 2009 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4345/is_4_35/ai_n29345472

---

Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply

Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?

Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.

Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?

• Plagiarism free papers
• Timely delivery
• Any deadline
• Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
• Subject-relevant academic writer
• Adherence to paper instructions
• Ability to tackle bulk assignments
• Reasonable prices
• 24/7 Customer Support
• Get superb grades consistently

 

Online Academic Help With Different Subjects

Literature

Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.

Finance

Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.

Computer science

Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!

Psychology

While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.

Engineering

Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.

Nursing

In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.

Sociology

Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.

Business

We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!

Statistics

We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.

Law

Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.

What discipline/subjects do you deal in?

We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.

Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?

Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.

What if I don’t like the paper?

There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.

Reasons being:

• When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
• We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.

In the event that you don’t like your paper:

• The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
• We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
• Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.

Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?

Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.

What if the paper is plagiarized?

We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.

When will I get my paper?

You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.

Will anyone find out that I used your services?

We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.

How our Assignment  Help Service Works

1.      Place an order

You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.

2.      Pay for the order

Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.

3.      Track the progress

You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.

4.      Download the paper

The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.

PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!

---