Assignment task:
In your second clinical assessment, review the Joey Case Study (Clinical Assessment #3 Case Study-see below) and answer the three (3) questions attached to the case study. The questions can be answered by using the book and course materials; no other materials are authorized. Each paper must have an 'Introduction' section that introduces the topic of the paper, a 'Main Points' section that serves as the 'meat' of the discussion, and a 'Conclusion' section that summarizes the topic and discusses what was learned. The paper must be three (3) to five (5) pgs long and be in APA.
Reference-
Clinical Assessment:
Joey is a 39-year-old father of four. He has recently been committed against his will to the local mental hospital for attempting to kill his wife and children. Apparently, last night, Joey heard his wife and daughters conspiring to poison him by placing rat poison in his eggs the following morning. He has known that he is in danger of being poisoned for quite some time (at least 8 or 9 months.) Through the use of an audiocapaceter (his word) that had been implanted into his back left molar during a visit to his dentist last month, he heard the plot unfold. Although this is not the first time he has heard people threatening to kill him, this was the only time he knew who they were. As a result, he planned to use a shotgun and kill his family while they slept; before they could kill him.
At about three in the morning, Joey slowly got out of bed so as to not awaken his wife. He went into the closet and found the shotgun. Luckily for the entire family, the shells had been removed from their usual place at the request of his psychiatrist (his wife moved them). This so enraged Joey, that he began to hit his wife in the head with the butt of the gun. Hysterical, his oldest daughter called 911. His wife and children all were able to get out of the house and over to a rather frightened next-door neighbor's home. Joey began to bang on the neighbor's door just as the police arrived to arrest him.
Prior to his arrest, Joey has been on antipsychotic medications for at least eight months. Unbeknownst to his family, he stopped taking them about two weeks ago. He stated that he stopped because they made him "very, very, sleepy" and caused him to "shake all over." Joey also has severe diabetes and extremely high blood pressure. Last week, he lost his job at the local grocery store where he has stocked groceries since he was in his late teens. Apparently, he got into an altercation with the store manager. Joey tried to protect himself when he perceived that the manager was attempting to tie him up in the store janitor's room. In reality, the manager attempted to restrain Joey after he slugged a box boy that had offered him a piece of gum.
Joey has no history of psychosis prior to this episode that began about 9 months ago. Since that time, his symptoms have been present nearly every day. Further, his oldest brother and father have serious depression, yet there is no evidence of schizophrenia in his family. One of his daughters did, however, attempt suicide several years ago (when she was 15) after her boyfriend broke up with her.
Please answer the following questions:
Based on what you have learned in this class so far, which diagnosis might you explore when working with Joey?
For your diagnosis list the symptoms and circumstances from the case study that you would use as evidence for these diagnoses.
Based on the treatments you have learned about so far, what would you recommend as a possible intervention to treat Joey?