Use The Competency-Based Assessment Model Diagram As Shown

Use the competency-based assessment model diagram as shown on page 23 of the Gray text

Use the competency-based assessment model diagram as shown on page 23 of the Gray text. Please list the biological/psychological/social considerations appropriately for this client. Include your assessment of competence (strengths and resources) as shown on the diagram Biological: Psychological Social 1)How might the strengths and resources of this client be used in assessing this client? 2)Please provide a diagnosis for this client. List the numerical code and the DSM 5 diagnosis. 3)What are possible diagnoses requiring additional information for this client? What information is needed and how might you obtain it? 4)Identify the mood episode that Beth is currently experiencing. Explain why you believe this mood episode reflects the symptoms that Beth is presenting with.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

In the realm of mental health assessment, understanding the intricate interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective intervention. The case of Beth, a 37-year-old woman exhibiting symptoms of prolonged depression and hypomanic episodes, underscores the importance of a comprehensive, competency-based assessment model. This essay systematically explores Beth’s biological, psychological, and social considerations, interprets her strengths and resources, provides an appropriate DSM-5 diagnosis, discusses potential additional diagnoses, and identifies her current mood episode based on her clinical presentation.

Biological, Psychological, and Social Considerations

Applying the competency-based assessment model, Beth’s case reveals significant biological, psychological, and social factors influencing her mental health. Biomarkers and physical health status form the biological domain. Beth’s obesity, recent diagnosis of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol point to underlying physiological vulnerabilities that may contribute to her mood disturbances. Her history of substance use (alcohol and pills), sleep disturbances, and difficulty adhering to medication regimens further complicate her biological profile.

Psychologically, Beth demonstrates pervasive mood dysregulation, evidenced by chronic depression, episodes of elevated energy, impulsivity, and rapid speech, indicative of bipolarity. Her history of family loss, rejection, and relational conflicts exacerbate her psychological vulnerabilities. She reports feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, guilt, and recurrent crying spells—all characteristic of depressive episodes. Her episodes of hypomania, marked by decreased need for sleep, elevated mood, increased productivity, and impulsive behaviors, highlight mood instability.

Social considerations include her strained family environment, fragmented social relationships, unemployment, and social isolation. Beth’s living situation with her mother and brother, her strained relationship with colleagues, and her reported lack of close friends limit her social support network. Her brother’s alcoholism and verbal abuse, coupled with her mother’s invalidating responses to her emotional distress, contribute to her social stressors, impacting her overall mental health.

Assessment of Strengths and Resources

Understanding Beth’s strengths and resources is essential to tailoring an effective assessment and intervention plan. Her creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, exemplified by her jewelry-making hobby, serve as potential strengths. When engaged in jewelry design, Beth experiences heightened energy, improved mood, and a sense of purpose, which can be nurtured therapeutically. Her resilience in the face of chronic emotional distress indicates an underlying capacity for adaptation.

Her acknowledged motivation to seek help, as evidenced by her willingness to attend counseling despite previous dissatisfaction, signifies a potential resource. Her ability to articulate her feelings, her insight into her mood fluctuations, and her desire to improve her situation provide a foundation for collaborative treatment planning. Moreover, her awareness of her health issues underscores her motivation to manage her physical and mental health holistically. Securing her strengths such as her creativity and motivation can facilitate engagement in therapy, medication adherence, and lifestyle adjustments.

Diagnostic Considerations and DSM-5 Diagnosis

Based on Beth’s clinical presentation, a primary diagnosis of Bipolar II Disorder (296.89, F31.81) is appropriate. Her history of depression, current low mood, episodic periods of elevated energy, decreased need for sleep, and impulsivity align with hypomanic episodes characteristic of Bipolar II disorder. The absence of full manic episodes further supports this diagnosis.

Additionally, her persistent depressive symptoms, negative self-view, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and feelings of worthlessness subsidiary to depressive episodes align with Major Depressive Disorder, recurrent episode (296.32, F33.1). The coexistence of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes suggests a bipolar spectrum disorder rather than unipolar depression.

Potential Additional Diagnoses and Needed Information

Other possible diagnoses requiring further information include Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD, 301.83, F60.3), considering her history of unstable relationships, emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and episodes of intense anger. To confirm this, additional information about her interpersonal patterns, fears of abandonment, and identity stability is necessary, obtainable through clinical interview and established personality assessment tools such as the PID-5.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD, 309.81, F43.10) could also be considered given her history of familial loss, emotional trauma, and ongoing stress. Gathering detailed trauma history, including specific traumatic events and current trauma-related symptoms, through detailed clinical history and trauma questionnaires would be vital.

Substance use disorder at a mild or moderate level, especially regarding alcohol and pills, warrants assessment. A comprehensive substance screening, including self-report, collateral information, and toxicology tests, would inform this diagnosis.

Current Mood Episode Identification

Beth appears to be experiencing a Major Depressive Episode. Her symptoms, such as persistent sadness, tearfulness, feelings of worthlessness, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and hopelessness, align with criteria for a major depressive episode in the DSM-5. Although she reports recent episodes of elevated energy and productivity, these periods are not currently present, indicating a depressive state at this assessment point. Her current presentation also includes cognitive symptoms like difficulty concentrating and feelings of being overwhelmed, reaffirming her depressive episode status.

Her emotional state—marked by crying, hopelessness, and fatigue—along with her negative self-perception and perceived lack of future prospects, reinforces the diagnosis. The presence of mood fluctuations suggests bipolarity, with depressive episodes alternating with hypomanic periods, which is typical in Bipolar II disorder.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Beth exemplifies a complex case with biological vulnerabilities (obesity, metabolic syndromes), psychological challenges (mood instability, emotional dysregulation), and social stressors (family conflicts, social isolation). A comprehensive assessment grounded in the competency-based model helps in framing her diagnosis and treatment plan. Recognizing her strengths, such as creativity and motivation, offers avenues for engagement and recovery. Accurately diagnosing her current mood episode as Major Depressive Episode within Bipolar II disorder guides appropriate treatment strategies aimed at stabilization and relapse prevention, emphasizing pharmacological management, psychotherapy, lifestyle modifications, and strengthening her social support network.

References

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