Introduction
Evidence-based practice is a new technique in clinical medicine and one of the most effective approaches to treatments. Practitioners combine their medical knowledge with the research evidence available to find an amicable solution to the patient’s conditions. Evidence-based practice in hospitals helps practitioners and patients to develop a close relationship that enhances the process of treatment. In addition, the use of evidence-based practice in handling health problems enhances the research techniques of health practitioners and creates an ideal relationship between medicine and science. Psychiatrists, psychologists, and other professionals who deal with emotional and behavioral disorders have also benefited a great deal from evidence-based practice (Iribarren, et al., 2005). Researchers continue to provide ideal material necessary to inform the counseling practice of patients suffering from psychological disorders. The purpose of this paper is to present a medical case study by stating how it relates to evidence-based practice. In addition, the paper will analyze evidence-based counseling research that informs the practice of handling the conditions presented in the case study.
The Three Patients and Critical Elements That Deserve Attention
The case study of this paper involves three patients who present different psychological issues. The three patients present three sets of people in different phases of life, including children, young adults the older generation. Therefore, the case study presents an ideal situation for a clinician to identify the best practice for each of the groups within the health industry. The process of treatment varies from one individual to another, and the age bracket of the patient determines it (Kolar et al., 2008). Each of the groups presented in the case study, therefore, requires specific and special intervention.
Jonathan, a young boy of eight years, suffers from attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder. The parents of the boy are well up people with good jobs and insurance cover to cater for their medical bills, but their intimacy issues affect the well-being of the child. Jonathan has witnessed a dysfunctional relationship between his parents who keep separating and reuniting (Norcross, Hogan & Koocher, 2013). Therefore, the medical practitioner must find a way to deal with Jonathan’s cognitive factors that are the most affected by the poor functionality of his parents. The parents are also rather busy with their careers, thus leaving little to no time for their child. Jonathan needs counseling and psychological treatment to change his perspective of the world, self, and the future.
Francesco, on the other hand, is a young adult who suffers from anxiety and has a habit of drug abuse. His problem arises from the threatening working conditions and his lack of a stable social life. He has experienced a failed marriage, and the condition of his work seems to be failing as well. As such, he resolved to excessive drinking to deal with his losses and threatening situations. Francesco is in denial of the adverse effects of excessive drinking. Therefore, the health care personnel must find a way to bring the patient to the understanding of the impacts of his actions (Norcross et al., 2013).
Consequently, Francesco needs psychological help to move past his failed relationships and figure out a way to deal with the work challenges ahead of him. Annique is the third patient who is suffering from chronic depression. Her condition began in her teenage, and although she effectively manages it with medication, the onset of menopause has rekindled the problem. She needs counseling to know how to deal with the changing moods and other effects of menopause. Annique’s matter is a rather complicated one because her family also has a history of psychological issues (Norcross et al., 2008)). Therefore, the health care personnel must find ways to deal with the patient’s current problem and prevent the occurrence of other family-related psychological conditions.
Research Summary
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective techniques for handling multiple psychological problems in the world. Research indicates that CBT presents an effective solution for over sixteen psychological conditions that affect people in the world. Most of the other therapeutic treatments only handle a specific psychological issue, but CBT is effective in meeting a wide range of issues (Hofmann et al., 2013). Additionally, CBT provides solutions for people of all ages, thus making it ideal evidence-based psychotherapy. CBT focuses on changing the cognitive perception of a person to achieve effective treatme
According to this article, psychological issues arise from the general belief that people have about the world, self, and the future. These decisions and beliefs arise from the interaction that people have with the environment and one another (Hofmann et al., 2013). For instance, in the case mentioned above, the perceptions of life and the world were influenced by different factors in each patient’s case. Jonathan grew up in a non-functional family; therefore, his idea of family and the relationship between people is ruined. Francesco’s perception of life is because of the many economic and social challenges that he faces in his daily life. Emotional instability and the biological stages of life that interfere with the normal functioning of an individual, on the other hand, affect Annique.
CBT treatment appeals to the mental ability of a person with the purpose of changing the general beliefs that one has towards the world, self, and the future (Hofmann et al., 2013). Changing the beliefs helps change the problems associated with such negativities, thus improving the emotional and behavioral control of a person. CBT treatment focuses on three key aspects of treatment, including symptom reduction, improving the functionality, and the remission of the disorder. Practitioners achieve these three principles by appealing to the cognitive ability of the person while taking into account the psychological, emotional, and behavioral factors associated with the problem (Kolar et al., 2008).
Cognitive behavior therapy requires active participation of both the clinicians and the patient for ideal results. Patients must be fully engaged in the problem-solving process because that is the only way they can change their mentality of situations in life. CBT is a quite effective psychotherapy, which makes it ideal for the current world inhabited by people of different status. Consequently, the ability of the psychotherapy to cut across all ages makes it effective and necessary in every healthcare facility.
The ethical and legal consideration in both the case study and the article is the mainly the safety of the patients. Psychological issues tend to result in violence or other associated evils if they do not receive the necessary attention. The role of the health care practitioner is to provide safety for the patient without inflicting any harm. Additionally, the privacy of the patient’s condition is rather paramount in psychological treatments (Iribarren et al., 2005). The health job ethics require practitioners to uphold the privacy of their patients at all costs. The CBT treatment technique requires the involvement of patients, but they must consent to participate in the process.
References
Hofmann, S., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I., Sawyer, A. & Fang, A. (2013). The efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy: a review of meta-analysis. Cognit Ther Res, 36 (5), 427-440.
Iribarren, J., Prolo, P., Neagos, N. & Chiappelli, F. (2005). Posttraumatic stress disorder: an evidence-based research for the third millennium. Evid based complement alternative medicine, 2 (4), 503-512.
Kolar, D., Keller, A., Golfinopoulos, M., Cumyn, L., Syer, C. & Hechtman, L. (2008). The treatment of adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Neuropsychiatric disorder treatment, 4 (2), 389-403.
Norcross, J., Hogan, T. & Koocher, G. (2008). The Clinician’s guide to evidence-based practices mental health and the addictions. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.