Anxiety disorders are common in both primary care and psychiatric practice. Clients with anxiety disorders including generalized anxiety disorders, agoraphobia, and other specific phobias will present to the PMHNP’s office with a significant level of distress. Successful recognition and treatment of anxiety disorders includes an accurate diagnostic assessment with a treatment plan that includes a combination of psychopharmacology and psychotherapy. Although psychoanalytic theories are based on the concept of anxiety, the more recent standard of care is with the cognitive-behavioral therapies.

 

In this Discussion, you will analyze evidence-based treatment plans for clients with anxiety disorders.

 

 

To prepare for this Discussion:

 

By Day 5 of Week 5, your Instructor will have assigned you an anxiety disorder, which will be your focus for your initial post for this Discussion.

Review the Learning Resources.

By Day 3

Post:

 

Explain the difference between an adjustment disorder and anxiety disorder. Provide examples to illustrate your rationale.

Explain the diagnostic criteria for your assigned anxiety disorder.

Explain the evidenced-based psychotherapy and psychopharmacologic treatment for your assigned anxiety disorder.

Support your rationale with references to the Learning Resources or other academic resource.

For this Assignment, as you examine the client case study in this week’s Learning Resources, consider how you might assess and treat adult and older adult clients presenting symptoms of a mental health disorder.

 

Examine Case 2: You will be asked to make three decisions concerning the diagnosis and treatment for this client. Be sure to consider co-morbid physical, as well as mental factors that might impact the client’s diagnosis and treatment.

At each Decision Point stop to complete the following:

• Decision #1: Differential Diagnosis
  • Which Decision did you select?
  • Why did you select this Decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
  • What were you hoping to achieve by making this Decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
  • Explain any difference between what you expected to achieve with Decision #1 and the results of the Decision. Why were they different?
• Decision #2: Treatment Plan for Psychotherapy
  • Why did you select this Decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
  • What were you hoping to achieve by making this Decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
  • Explain any difference between what you expected to achieve with Decision #2 and the results of the Decision. Why were they different?
• Decision #3: Treatment Plan for Psychopharmacology
  • Why did you select this Decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
  • What were you hoping to achieve by making this Decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
  • Explain any difference between what you expected to achieve with Decision #3 and the results of the decision. Why were they different?

Also include how ethical considerations might impact your treatment plan and communication with clients and their family.