Dual Diagnosis

Students will be expected to submit a 2,500 words treatment essay that critically appraises a treatment intervention (e.g. MI, CBT, RP, and Mindfulness etc..) relevant to the dual diagnosis summative role play video and based on module content. (Learning outcomes 3, 4 & 5)
Abstract;
This essay is based on a role play video, which engaged a dual diagnosis service user (SU) in an assessment process by a mental health professional. The objective was to determine the nature of the SU problem after she was initially referred by her General Practitioner (GP), following concerns over her mental well-being. The assessment process revealed a number of issues; the main problems for this SU were sleep deprivation. She indicated that she uses cannabis to induced sleep. She also stated that her neighbours have been talking about her through the walls, which suggests she maintained some paranoid ideas.   She also used crack in the past resulting in the lost of family and friends resulting in isolation. She reported family history of mental health; mother suffers from depression and grandmother from dementia.
The outcome of her assessment was concerns about her vulnerability, the risk she poses to herself and others due to her paranoid ideas. The SU’s tendency to act impulsively (resorting to aggression) which may be triggered by delusional ideas. Due to the compelling evidence that substance use can mimic mental health and vice versa, it was apparent that the SU may be suffering from depression due to isolation, self neglect, lack of concentration coupled with family history of depression. Consequently, it was essential for an on-going assessment to ascertain the scale of the problem for potential referral to appropriate agency in order to offer treatment and intervention, for example, Motivational Interviewing (MI) to direct her towards awareness to change with the hope to minimise risk and improve her live. Routine assessment takes many forms, from lengthy formal...