Mental Health Issues

As a healthcare practitioner, you will be required to work with people at various stages of development, including children and adolescents. Adolescence can be particularly challenging as the individual negotiates new social roles, contends with sometimes difficult family and extra-familial contexts, experiences rapid physiological and neurological development and sexual maturation and develops a personal narrative separate from the family. Healthcare practitioners need to consider these issues when interacting with young people and their families.

Learning outcomes

1. review and critique developmental theory and research as it applies to the aetiology, presentation and treatment of mental health problems across the lifespan and in diverse populations

2. describe how mental health problems manifest differently across the lifespan and outline developmental and cultural considerations to addressing such problems and promoting mental health in partnership with service users

3. examine and critically consider the systemic influences on mental health including family, family history, community and larger social and cultural contexts over time

Task

You have been asked to provide a treatment report on a client (a child or adolescent) that can be used in referral or handover. The report can either be based on a previous or current child or adolescent client with whom you have worked. Alternatively, you can utilise the case study in Appendix A. The report must contain the following sections (an example of a template is included in Appendix B):

1. Background

2. Formulation

3. Treatment plan

4. Letter to GP (Note the letter should clearly and briefly outline 1,2 & 3).

Note that this is a report. However, your formulation should cite appropriate literature to support your formulation

Mental health across the lifespan