A 32-year-old man with schizophrenia has been refusing to allow the mental health team to enter his residence, believing that they are secret agents. His mother is worried about his health and informs the team that he has not taken his medication for two weeks.
What is the most suitable section of the mental health act to be utilized?
A 29-year-old male with schizophrenia is being evaluated by his psychiatrist. He expresses that he no longer takes pleasure in his usual pastimes. The patient used to enjoy playing video games and going to the gym, but now finds these activities uninteresting and lacks motivation to engage in them.
Which symptom of schizophrenia is the patient exhibiting?
A 28-year-old new mum is seen by the midwife three days post-giving birth. She is tearful, has lost her appetite and worries she is a bad mother. Her midwife reassures her that this is most likely postpartum blues or ‘baby blues’.
What is the incidence of this condition in new mothers?
The risk of developing schizophrenia if one monozygotic twin is affected is approximately:
A 29-year-old woman visits her doctor complaining of mood and sleep disturbances. She reveals that she was involved in a car accident a few months ago, which left her with minor injuries. However, she has been experiencing flashbacks of the incident and feels anxious when crossing roads, often avoiding them altogether. She also mentions being easily startled by car noises and horns. The woman feels fatigued and irritable, and her sleep is affected. What is the minimum duration of symptoms required for a probable diagnosis?
A 35-year-old male comes to your clinic at the suggestion of his partner. He has been experiencing hyperarousal to loud noises and difficulty concentrating at work since his stay in the ICU 4 weeks ago. His partner believes he may have acute stress disorder, but you diagnose him with PTSD and discuss treatment options. He asks you to explain the difference between the two to his partner. You explain that while the presentation is similar, the main difference is temporal.
At what point after the event can you confirm a diagnosis of PTSD?
A 27-year-old man is brought to the hospital by his sister after he spent all of his savings on buying expensive gifts for strangers on the street, claiming that he is here to spread love and happiness. He insists that he is the chosen one to bring joy to the world and will do anything to achieve it. He is very restless, and the doctor cannot communicate with him to gather a medical history. His sister confirms that he has a known diagnosis of bipolar disorder and is currently on medication. For the past few days, the patient has not slept much and has been up all night planning his mission to spread love. There is no evidence of any overdose, but his sister says that he may have missed his medication while on a trip last week. The doctor decides to keep the patient in the hospital under a Section until tomorrow morning when an approved mental health professional can evaluate him.
For how long can the patient be detained under the Section used?
A 35-year-old male contacts his GP at 2PM to schedule his blood tests following a recent visit to his psychiatrist. The psychiatrist has raised his lithium dosage and requested that the GP arrange for lithium levels to be checked at the appropriate time after taking the medication. The patient took his first increased dose of lithium at 10AM (4 hours ago).
In how many hours should the GP schedule the blood test to be taken?
A 42-year-old accountant comes to see you for a follow-up review 2 weeks after presenting with symptoms suggesting low mood. He had felt ‘down’ for several weeks, no longer enjoyed work or seeing friends and was sleeping more than usual. Despite this, he had a normal appetite, a strong sense of self-worth, denied any thoughts of self-harm or suicide and came across as reasonably active and lively. He says that he feels very anxious on Sunday evenings before going to work on a Monday and is getting increasingly ‘short and snappy’ with his colleagues. However, he says that work is otherwise going well and he is managing to get through the day. He does not feel any better at today’s consultation and is requesting advice about treatment options. He says he is ‘not a tablet person’.
What should you advise?
A 19-year-old male presents to the Emergency Department after consuming eight paracetamol tablets, four cans of strong cider and two mouthfuls of bleach in an attempt to end his life. He reports feeling extremely anxious and low in mood for the past week following a recent argument with his girlfriend. He believes he has no worth in society and thinks he is ‘better off dead’, hoping his girlfriend will understand how low he has been recently now that he has almost succeeded in ending his own life. He takes no regular medication and has a history of depression for which he sees his GP. He has no relevant family history. He has been to the emergency department with suicide attempts eight times in the last six months. He has no history of deliberate self-harm otherwise.
What is the necessary feature required for a diagnosis of a personality disorder?