Mental Health

Clinical scenario

Angelo is a 19-year-old man. He lives with his parents and he is an apprentice diesel mechanic.

Encouraged by his family, Angelo presented for assessment at his local hospital. As a nurse, you are

part of the multidisciplinary team responsible for Angelo’s assessment. On admission Angelo appears

withdrawn. His parents report that Angelo’s behaviour has changed gradually over the last 6 months.

He has become moody and uncommunicative and seems to have lost interest in life. Angelo’s

parents also report that in recent weeks he has started talking about his thoughts being controlled by

energy waves emitted by the television. At times he has been overheard talking to himself. His

parents state that Angelo has in the past used cannabis heavily. His work performance has suffered,

and his colleagues have also noticed the changes in Angelo’s mood and behaviour.

Clinical scenario questions

1. During your interview with Angelo, you note that he is not forthcoming with personal

information. What communication techniques would you use to obtain a clinical history.

(400 words)

2. Some aspects of Angelo’s history are suggestive of psychosis. Define psychosis and explain

the primary features of a psychotic presentation. (400 words).

3. A provisional diagnosis of schizophrenia is made, and Angelo is admitted to the mental

health unit for observation and further assessment. Explain the concept of positive and

negative symptoms in schizophrenia treatment. (400 words)

4. Explain the potential role of neurotransmitters in the development of schizophrenia. (400

words)

Preparation

• Revise your set readings and lectures for weeks 1 to 6.

• Read to assignment question carefully. Identify the key areas you need to address in this

essay. You may use headings based on these key areas to signpost your essay. Ensure you

understand the College of Nursing and Midwifery Assignment Policy and penalties for

overdue assignments.

• Revise your understanding of plagiarism and how to avoid this form of student misconduct.

Revise CDU-APA Referencing. Go to http://libguides.cdu.edu.au/cdureferencing for help

with referencing. You can submit a draft to the Draft Checking link to obtain a report on

matched text (go to Draft Checking for instructions and advice on interpretation of the text

matching report). You can submit once only to Draft Checking.

• Ensure that your computer and internet connection comply with CDU requirements (see

http://learnline.cdu.edu.au/support/learnline/systemrequirements.html).

• If you have technical problems, ring 24-hour Learnline Support for assistance. Keep the

ticket no. for reference. If you have not been able to complete your assignment submission

due to technical problems, contact the Unit Coordinator and quote this number.

Submission Instructions

• The assignment length is 1600 words (including in-text citations but excluding the reference

list). Penalties apply for being over or under the word limit.

• Signpost each essay as appropriate, Essay 1, Essay 2…etc.

• Use Arial 12-point font.

• An essay structure is required; include an introduction, body and conclusion for each of the

four questions.

• In-text citations and references are to be presented according to CDU-APA style 7th edition.

The reference list is placed at the end of the fourth short essay.

• Use sources within a 10-year publication range.

• The number of references you cite reflects the breadth of your reading. Include a minimum

10 references.

• It is the student’s responsibility to ensure correct submission.

• Assignments MUST be submitted via the Learnline system and will not be accepted by any

other mechanism. Your assignment will be graded, and feedback returned online through

My Grades in Learnline.

• Insert your name and student number on the first page and in the filename when you

submit.

Marking and Feedback Criteria

Your assignment feedback and grading will be based on the following criteria:

• Understanding of clinical concepts.

• Application of clinical reasoning skills.

• Academic literacy skills – writing style, grammar and spelling.

• Academic integrity skills – accurate use of CDU-APA referencing style.