Case Scenario:
You are meeting with Shonda today for an initial counseling session and spent a majority of the session gathering BioPsychoSocial assessment information (that is, information pertaining to biological, psychological and social factors that may be impacting Shonda’s mental health). Shonda has shared with you that she has been experiencing severe anxiety over the last three months. She also states that anxiety disorder runs in her family. To Shonda’s knowledge, her sister, mother, maternal grandmother and paternal grandfather have all struggled with severe symptoms of anxiety at one time or another. Shonda states that six months ago she was transferred to a new position in the Emergency Room at the hospital where she works. Shonda is a nurse and her new position is fast-paced, high stress and she faces trauma on a daily basis. Shonda is having difficulty sleeping at night due to racing thoughts and the inability to “unwind.” She has become more irritable which has in turn negatively affected her close relationships.
In your documentation write-up (your initial discussion prompt response), provide an analysis of both biological and psychological causes of Shonda’s situation. Between biological and psychological causes, which appears to have had the largest impact? What recommendations would you make to Shonda to alleviate her symptoms based on the biological and psychological information presented?
Sample Solution
