Nrsg210 Mental Health Nursing:Bipolar Disorder Assessment Answers

Answer:

Bipolar disorder or maniac depression is a mood swing mental disorder that presents itself as emotional highness (mania) and lows (depression) (National Institute of Mental Health, 2015). Working with these type of patients with inconsistent character or behaviour can be risky both to the health practitioner or the patient to himself or to the community. The mania phase brings particular risks like disinhibition, risk taking, aggression and poor judgement. These risks all together may lead to disordered relationships (Bassett, 2010).

The first risk is an extreme risk taking behaviour from the belief of being impenetrable brought by feeling emotionally high (Reddy et al., 2014). In this case, a subject to a mental health disorder may be influenced to take a risk of dangerous speeding when driving, crossing roads without care, jumping from high buildings or heights, drinking excess alcohol, or even diving into water. These emotionally influenced decision can be fatal to the person or endanger the life of others. The management for this risk can be medication with drugs that lower the hyperactivity like anti-anxiety, mood stabilizing or stimulant medications.

A person in the mania phase of bipolar disorder is at risk of poor judgement (Reddy et al., 2014). Here, he or she may make decisions without proper evaluation of the consequences (Hunt, 2011). For example, he or she may overspend on things that are not very important like excessive use of alcohol and related psychoactive substance. The resulting effect is poverty or depression to the extreme levels. In other cases, because of poor decision making, the person may have an unreasonable feeling of bravery that he/ she engages in aggressive actions against others risking his own life and the safety of others. The best risk management approach here is communication. Communication is important to cool the patient anxiety and hyperactive behaviours (Turner& Gelles, 2012). The patient should be advised concerning the nature of the problem with a certain level of concern.

Lastly, the patient is at a risk of disinhibited behaviour (Fountoulakis, 2014). Because of impaired judgement, the patient may engage in unethical behaviours such as aberrant sexual conduct including rape, promiscuity or exhibitionism. The above situations can destroy relationships in a workplace or interpersonal relationship. They also put the patient a risk of harm from others. The risk management approach suitable is involving the authorities within the facility to control or provide more workforce should the client be extremely aggressive.

References

Bassett, D. L. (2010). Risk assessment and management in bipolar disorders. Med J Aust, 193(4 Suppl), S21-S23. Retrieved 5^th October 2018 https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2010/193/4/risk-assessment-and-management-bipolar-disorders

Fountoulakis, K. N. (2014). Bipolar disorder: an evidence-based guide to manic depression. Springer.

Hunt, N. (2011). Bipolar Disorder E-book: Your Questions Answered. Elsevier Health Sciences.

National Institute of Mental Health (2015) Bipolar Disorder, Retrieved 5^th October 2018 from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml

Reddy, L. F., Lee, J., Davis, M. C., Altshuler, L., Glahn, D. C., Miklowitz, D. J., & Green, M. F. (2014). Impulsivity and risk taking in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology, 39(2), 456. doi:  10.1038/npp.2013.218

Turner, J. T., & Gelles, M. (2012). Threat assessment: A risk management approach. Routledge.