A mother brings her 10-year-old daughter who was recently diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
She is visiting the clinic as she is still having difficulty managing her daughter’s disruptive and challenging behavior, despite receiving group-based support and environmental modifications.
What is the primary treatment option for managing ADHD?
A patient is brought to see you by his daughter. She is very concerned about him, saying that over the last few weeks, he has been hiding himself in their bedroom, heard to be talking to himself and accusing her of stealing his secret work and selling it to the government.
You conduct a mental state examination and elicit the following symptoms.
Which of these symptoms is a negative symptom?
A 35-year-old unemployed man visits his GP seeking assistance with his heroin addiction. He has been using heroin for more than a year after a friend suggested trying the drug after a night out. As a result, he has frequently used heroin. He has lost his job, ended his long-term relationship, and is currently sleeping on his friend’s couch.
A few months ago, he attempted to quit because he wanted to turn his life around, but he found the withdrawal symptoms too difficult to handle and ended up using heroin again. He is eager to try and quit drugs, but he feels he cannot do it without some form of assistance.
Which of the following can be used for substitution therapy in opioid-dependent patients?
A 27-year-old woman is brought to the Emergency Department by her father after attempting suicide with an overdose of medication. Upon questioning, she says that she has recently broken up with her boyfriend and that he does not let her use cocaine and marijuana. This is the second time that they have broken up, and she tells you that she fights constantly with him. Hospital records show that she has been admitted to hospital many times and that she has had many previous suicide attempts. She admits to drinking heavily at weekends and to having had unprotected sex with multiple partners over the last year.
Which one of the following personality disorders best describes this patient?
A young man arrives at the emergency department after taking a paracetamol overdose following a recent break-up. He has since entered into a new relationship, but is struggling with frequent outbursts of anger. The patient has a history of childhood abuse and struggles with maintaining healthy relationships. He reports experiencing frequent mood swings between low and elevated states. The overdose was not premeditated and the patient has a history of similar incidents. What is the most probable diagnosis?
A 35-year-old woman is experiencing a low mood after being laid off from her job. She struggles to fall asleep at night and has difficulty getting out of bed in the morning. She has little desire to socialize with her friends or spend time with her family. She is consumed with anxiety about her future and has lost weight due to a decreased appetite.
What are the primary symptoms of a depressive episode that she is experiencing?
A 38-year-old teacher has called for the pest controller for the third time in the past month. She is worried that her house is infested with rats and she frequently checks under the beds and around the property for any signs of the infestation. She mentions that she saw a therapist in her early twenties for obsessive hand washing and underwent a brief period of cognitive behavioural therapy.
Upon physical examination, there are no abnormalities found. However, upon further questioning, she admits to feeling compelled to check for rats and is constantly anxious about cleanliness.
What is the most probable diagnosis?
A 58-year-old woman is brought to the psychiatric ward by her family due to concerns about her behavior. During your conversation with her, you observe that she speaks rapidly and does not allow you to interrupt her. She frequently changes the subject, but you can discern connections between them. What psychiatric disorder is most commonly associated with these symptoms?
A 42-year-old woman visits the clinic with her husband, who is worried about her recent change in behavior. For the past two weeks, she has been acting out of character, spending large amounts of money on credit cards and wearing bold makeup and clothes that she wouldn’t normally choose. She has also been experiencing insomnia, often staying up late at night to work on important projects that she can’t disclose to her husband. The patient has a history of depression, and her mother was hospitalized for mental illness. What is the most probable diagnosis for this patient?
Barbara, a 75-year-old recently widowed woman, visits your medical practice with her son, who is concerned about his mother’s memory. Over the past few months, she has been forgetting appointments and conversations that they had just a few days ago, requiring frequent reminders to recall recent events. When you speak with Barbara, she mentions that she has lost her appetite and is waking up earlier than usual. She denies experiencing any hallucinations or issues with movement.
After administering a mini mental state exam, Barbara scores 23, and you observe that she is having difficulty focusing on your questions, often responding with I don’t know.
What is the most probable diagnosis?