evaluation of Suzette’s case. Explain Suzette’s specific stressors, and their present and potential effects on her mind and body. Describe the methods you would use to assess her levels of stress. Explain the biological and psychological mechanism
evaluation of Suzette’s case.
Explain Suzette’s specific stressors, and their present and potential effects on her mind and body.
Describe the methods you would use to assess her levels of stress.
Explain the biological and psychological mechanisms that describe the effects of stress on her sleep.
Assess the effect of Suzette’s ongoing stress and insomnia on her health.
Describe possible signs of sleep deprivation.
List the follow-up questions you want to ask that could help you develop a prevention strategy.
Explain
whether or not Suzette has an illness, and what it may be. Recommend
strategies for her to achieve greater health and thrive.
This is the scenario;
Week One Assignment Scenario
Suzette
is a 47-year old Caucasian female who has been married for 24 years,
and has three adolescent children. Her spouse was laid off from his job
of 15 years, and she has had to seek part-time work in the retail
business. She works 25 hours a week. They own a home, but have been
unable to make their mortgage payments for the past 7 months. She states
that she always felt they went beyond their means when purchasing this
large house. Her spouse has been despondent since his job loss and is
having difficulty finding employment in his field, spending most days at
home doing very little. He has turned down several jobs, because he
considered them “beneath” his skill level, and has started drinking more
heavily in recent months. Their children are in school and appear
fairly well-adjusted.
Suzette has suffered from headaches for many
years of her life and their frequency has increased to the extent that
she has headaches “more days than not.” In the past year, she has had
occasional shortness of breath and difficulty sleeping. She falls asleep
within 15 minutes but frequently wakes up “at 2 or 3 a.m.” and is
unable to fall back to sleep. This pattern has worsened and she claims
she dreads going to bed because of the worries she has and her fear of
not sleeping well.
She has good medical insurance because of her
spouse’s COBRA plan, and she has regular visits with her primary care
physician. Her medical history includes breast surgery for benign cysts,
and she has a history of tachycardia and chronic lumbar pain. She also
has evidence of early menopause. Her current medications include Ativan
for anxiety and sleep, hormone replacement therapy, and low doses of
Naproxen for back pain. She resists taking the Ativan, because it makes
her feel “foggy” during the day.
She is of normal weight for her
height, and her blood pressure is normal. Her eating patterns are
reduced, since she says, “I’m just not very hungry.” There has been no
major weight loss or gain in 5 years. She does not use alcohol or other
drugs. She does not smoke. Sexual interest and desire have decreased
significantly in the past 4 years. Her level of physical exercise is
minimal and she states that she used to go to a gym, but finances forced
her to quit. She claims that exercise always made her “feel good.”
Since then, she spends most of her time at work or home, and has no time
to exercise. Her mental status is normal, aside from moderate anxiety.
Her level of social support is reduced, because she has few friends and
her relationship with her spouse has become distant.
Her major
complaint is her insomnia. She has significant daytime sleepiness and
often falls asleep while watching TV in the evening. She claims that she
falls asleep almost instantly when her head hits the pillow at night,
but she wakes up three or four times and usually cannot fall back
asleep.
Format your evaluation consistent with APA guidelines,
including at least five scholarly references. One of these scholarly
references must be a peer-reviewed journal article
