Ghalan is a 32-year-old male of African American origin, and it seems that he suffers from a depressive disorder. According to DSM-5, the complete diagnosis is F32.1 Major Depressive Episode, single, moderate, and with mixed features (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The rationale behind making this diagnosis is that Ghalan has a depressed mood, sadness, decreased concentration, passive suicidal ideation, creativeness, irritability, and others. A more detailed explanation of how the client’s symptoms and the mental health issue’s signs match will be presented below. Furthermore, it is reasonable to comment on additional conditions that can be a focus of clinical attention. Thus, Ghalan can be affected by Z62.820 Parent-Child Relational Problem and Z56.9 Other Problem Related to Employment (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). All these details can result in the fact that the patient under consideration has a mental health issue.
Now, it is reasonable to explain what patient’s symptoms allowed for making the diagnosis above. Firstly, Ghalan reports being sad, having depressive moods, and decreased concentration. These are the general symptoms of a Major Depressive Disorder according to DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Secondly, Morrison (2014) admits that the loss of interest and sleep issues are also symptoms of the condition above. Ghalan stipulates that she has problems sleeping, while his sister indicates that the patient liked playing softball, reading, and watching football but has less interest in these activities now. Finally, thoughts of death and suicide ideation can also demonstrate that a person suffers from a depressive disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Ghalan and his sister admit that he had passive suicide ideations some time ago. This information demonstrates that Ghalan’s condition is moderate because he has some episodes without the adverse symptoms, but it is challenging to mention that these signs are entirely manageable.
A specific measurement instrument can be proposed to ensure that the diagnosis is correct and to assess treatment outcomes. According to Jain et al. (2017), the Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale (CUDOS) can be suitable. This instrument consists of 18 items that are designed to measure how a person assesses their own condition. In particular, the tool attempts to measure the person’s level of sadness, interest in everyday activities, appetite, sleep quality, physical state, concentrating issues, and others. This instrument is suitable to make a diagnosis while applying it in a follow-up period can help social workers identify whether treatment leads to successful outcomes.
Finally, a comprehensive approach is necessary to treat Ghalan’s condition. On the one hand, medication therapy involving atypical antipsychotics and mood stabilizers is justified by the expert consensus guidelines (Jain et al., 2017). On the other hand, psychosocial interventions, including family-focused therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and lifestyle modifications, are necessary to lead to better treatment outcomes (Jain et al., 2017). This information demonstrates that there is no need to subject the client to psychotropic medications because scientific evidence indicates that the above approach can lead to positive outcomes.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Pub Inc.
Jain, R., Maletic, V., & McIntyre, R. S. (2017). Diagnosing and treating patients with mixed features. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 78(8), 1091-1102. Web.
Morrison, J. (2014). Diagnosis made easier: Principles and techniques for mental health clinicians (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.