Terry Suicidal Ideation Case Study Sample

Mental Health and Suicidal Ideation - Part 1

Terry, a 25-year-old male has presented with suicidal ideation due to a relationship breakdown. Terry also has a history of substance abuse and expresses anxiety. He confesses that the breakdown in the relationship occurred as the partner was not using drugs. At present, Terry is consuming methamphetamine and alcohol that had also stained his relationship. Terry is positive and wants to improve his current situation. For assessment of drug and alcohol for the treatment, the following information will be mandatorily required. Firstly, the patient history of substance abuse must be collected and recorded. The kinds of intoxication, cause of intoxication, and frequency must be duly noted (Ostrom &Wilhelmsen, 2019). Secondly, the behavioural changes observed and experienced by the patient must be noted and recorded. Therefore, the assessment must be inclusive of the basic demographical and historical information of the patient, identification of the established or probable diagnoses and associated impairments should be recorded, that is, in case of Terry, depression and anxiety along with substance abuse must be mandatorily reported (Grigsby et al., 2017).

The general strengths and the problem areas of the patient must be reported. A record of the stage of change and treatment for the mental health problems and substance abuse should be noted. The determination of co-occurring disorders and the determination to bring in a change must also be mentioned in the assessment (Ostrom &Wilhelmsen, 2019). Assessment information for medical treatment must also be inclusive of a consent form from the patient for agreeing to the medical treatments. Contact numbers and essential information of the patient must also be recorded. The individual must be informed about the course of treatment and the process of management and written informed consent must be therefore obtained for the medical treatment and conduction of any medical procedure. The initiative of the individual for the treatment and management of the condition must be appreciated and essential psychological support must be provided (Felton &Wright, 2017).

There are multiple assessment tools that can be used for the ascertaining the information. These tools are known as screening tools and function by providing a list of questionnaires and checklist. Some common tools that are used for the assessment include the Alcohol screening and brief intervention for Youth (NIAAA) tool, NIDA drug use screening tool, Alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT), Depression Anxiety, and stress scales (DASS-21), Metal state examination, Alcohol, smoking, substance involvement screening test (ASSIST), etc. (Government of Australia, 2020). In the case of Terry, the most suitable tool for the assessment of his condition will be the ASSIST tool. This tool is suitable as it is inclusive of both alcohol and amphetamine and similar drug abuse that are often consumed by Terry.

The questionnaire of the ASSIST tool reveals essential information that will help the planning and management of the health condition of the patient. The tool is inclusive of questions that focus on the substances that have been used by the patient in a lifetime, frequency of substance abuse in past three months, frequency of the urge or desire to consume these substances, and also about the health, legal, social, and personal problems faced due to substance abuse (Government of Australia, 2015). Further, the ASSIST tool also focuses on retrieving information regarding interference caused by addiction, concern expressed towards substance abuse, events of self-control, and injection of any compound (Government of Australia, 2016). A detailed ASSIST questionnaire has been attached in Appendix. The other significant information about the life of Terry that can be useful can include cause of inclination towards substance abuse, urge development towards substance use and incidences of withdrawal in past.

Part 2: Government and Non-Governmental Services Available in Cairns

Some of the substance abuse services are available in Cairns are as follows (Government of Australia, 2020):

Mode of function of “Queensland Injectors health network (QUIHN), Carins”

The QUIHN service providers in Carins, Australia focus on health and human service for people struggling with the drug and substance abuse. The organization follows a comprehensive therapeutic approach. An alcohol and drug outreach program has been developed by the service and focusses on providing management strategies and counselling services to a wide range of the population in need. This is also inclusive of the hours' service for the individuals struggling with drug and alcohol abuse (QUIHN, 2020). The organization also focuses on peer education and helps distribute knowledge about illicit drug use and helps in the minimization of drug-related harms in the population through the promotion of health. The primary therapeutic assistance is provided by the counselling service. The services are highly beneficial for individuals that have a dual diagnosis, that is, have an addiction to drugs and alcohol and have also been diagnosed with a mental illness like depression (QUIHN, 2020). Further, extended counselling support is also provided to the family and the allies of the individual with a holistic perspective. The service is goal-oriented and helps by advocation and provision of motivational support, health education, relapse prevention, crisis support, referral to specialist assistance for detoxification, pharmacotherapy, and rehabilitation, and by also ensuring support to the family and the carers (QUIHN, 2020).

This service will be especially helpful for Terry for several reasons. First, it will help Terry to be able to get adequate information and counselling towards his behaviour and drug addiction. The counselling and the therapy sessions by the service are particularly focused on patients with a dual diagnosis. Since Terry has depression and anxiety along with alcohol and drug addiction, the service will be highly suitable for him. The counselling sessions are also provided for the family members and the allies of the patient. In the case of Terry, this will be extremely useful as the family members and allies of Terry will be able to understand this psychological condition and assist him further to recover from this addiction effectively. Moreover, this will also help Terry to be able to communicate his needs freely with his close associates and manage his condition more effectively.

Emotional support from the family and close associates helps immensely in the recovery and the management of the health condition (Felton &Wright, 2017). Therefore, this counselling will not only be therapeutic for Terry but also help in minimization of relapse by immense support of the family and allies and also via the assistance of professionals. This care service is also suitable as it is in the local community and therefore easily accessible for Terry. Since Terry has also expressed his need to be able to manage his health condition, the goal-based approached provided by the service will be of essential significance (Newson et al., 2020). Since the patient has a history of alcohol and drug abuse, small goals that can assist in the timely management of the condition can be developed by the services. This will prevent overwhelming and help in establishing constructive and incremental improvements with time.

Part 3: Reflection: Role as A Mental Health Care Nurse

Being a mental healthcare nurse is a huge responsibility as along the mental health patients often represent with complex, unclassified and highly intricate symptoms that are subjective, personal, and experiential. Therefore, for the development of therapeutic alliance for patients like Terry, composite skills are required. As a mental health nurse, my priority was to understand the problem and establish realistic and timely goals for Terry. As the patient was suicidal and had drug abuse history, these goals focused on ensuring recovery and instilling hope in Terry for a better life and improvement (McIntosh & Gourney, 2018). The primary skill required for successful establishment and attainment of these was empathy (Cusack et al., 2017). A mental health nurse must understand the needs of the patient to be able to help and provide assistance.

Through my course curriculum and readings, I had learned the significance of empathetic care in mental health nursing and therefore ensured that I was able to provide the best care and guidance to Terry on his path of recovery. Another essential required to be a competent mental health nurse is to understand the patient needs through effective communication (Furnes et al., 2018). It is important to be a good communicator to be working as a mental health nurse where active listening in communication plays an integral part in mental health nursing. Strong and effective communication is also essential as it helps in the development of a strong relationship between the carer and the patient and assists in the identification and delivery of the desired goals (Cusack et al., 2017). Therefore, my responsibility was to ensure that I actively listened to the needs of Terry and developed a concise plan for the improvement of his health.

Apart from these soft skills, technical knowledge should also be profound. As a mental healthcare nurse, I undertook the mental health and drug abuse examination of Terry using the ASSIST tool. I had chosen this tool as it provided a detailed questionnaire that helped me understand his requirements and document ways to achieve them. Based on this, I listed several services that could help in the recovery and identified the most suitable care service for Terry. In my course of action, I feel, if I had the guidance of a senior mental health nurse, I would have been able to achieve the desired results faster. However, with my ability, I was able to assist Terry and guide him towards a path of recovery with optimism and hope to ensure his wellbeing. Further, to develop my skills and advance as a more competent mental health nurse, I will ensure that I read and learn about the suitable practices and skills to help the individuals in even more efficient manner.

References for Mental Health and Suicidal Ideation

Cusack, E., Killoury, F., & Nugent, L. E. (2017). The professional psychiatric/mental health nurse: skills, competencies and supports required to adopt recovery?orientated policy in practice. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 24(2-3), 93-104.

Felton, A., & Wright, N. (2017). Simulation in mental health nurse education: The development, implementation and evaluation of an educational innovation. Nurse Education in Practice, 26, 46-52.

Furnes, M., Kvaal, K. S., &Høye, S. (2018). Communication in mental health nursing-Bachelor Students' appraisal of a blended learning training programme-an exploratory study. BMC Nursing, 17(1), 20.

Government of Australia. (2015). Screening tools. Retrieved from: https://www.health.qld.gov.au/public-health/topics/atod/screening

Government of Australia. (2016). ASSIST Tool. Retrieved from: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/44320/1/9789241599382_eng.pdf

Government of Australia. (2020). Drug and alcohol treatment services in Carins, QLD 4870. Retrieved from: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/australian-health-services/results/cairns-4870/tihcs-aht-10870/drug-and-alcohol-treatment-services?undefined&pageIndex=4&tab=SITE_VISIT

Grigsby, T. J., Sussman, S., Chou, C. P., & Ames, S. L. (2017). Assessment of substance misuse. In Research methods in the study of substance abuse (pp. 197-233). USA: John Wiley & Sons.

McIntosh, B., &Gournay, K. (2017). The future of mental health nursing. British Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 6(1), 8-10.

Newson, J. J., Hunter, D., & Thiagarajan, T. C. (2020). The Heterogeneity of mental health assessment. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 76.

QUIHN (2020). QUIHN carins Region. Retrieved from: https://www.quihn.org/cairns

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