Week 5: Anxiolytic Therapy & PTSD Treatment
Assignment: Assessing and Treating Clients With Anxiety Disorders
“I’m no longer at the mercy of my PTSD, and I would not be here today had I not had the proper diagnosis and treatment. The journey to recovery is often long and challenging, but it is a path worth taking. It’s never too late to seek help.”
—P.K. Philips, PTSD patient
For individuals suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other anxiety disorders, everyday life can be a constant challenge. The impact of these disorders can permeate every aspect of life, affecting relationships, work, and overall well-being. Clients requiring anxiolytic therapy may present with anxiousness, depression, substance abuse issues, and even physical symptoms related to cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal ailments. As a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, you must be prepared to address the many needs of individuals seeking treatment for PTSD and other anxiety disorders.
This week, as you study anxiolytic therapies and PTSD treatments, you examine the assessment and treatment of clients with PTSD and other anxiety disorders. Understanding the nuances of each case is crucial for effective treatment planning. You also explore ethical and legal implications of these therapies.
Assignment: Assessing and Treating Clients With Anxiety Disorders
Common symptoms of anxiety disorders include chest pains, shortness of breath, and other physical symptoms that may be mistaken for a heart attack or other physical ailment. These symptoms can be frightening and often lead to unnecessary medical interventions. These manifestations often prompt clients to seek care from their primary care providers or emergency departments. Once it is determined that there is no organic basis for these symptoms, clients are typically referred to a psychiatric mental health practitioner for anxiolytic therapy. For this Assignment, as you examine the client case study in this week’s Learning Resources, consider how you might assess and treat clients presenting with anxiety disorders.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
Assess client factors and history to develop personalized plans of anxiolytic therapy for clients
Analyze factors that influence pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes in clients requiring anxiolytic therapy
Evaluate efficacy of treatment plans
Analyze ethical and legal implications related to prescribing anxiolytic therapy to clients across the lifespan
Learning Resources
Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Note: All Stahl resources can be accessed through this link provided.
Stahl, S. M. (2013). Stahl’s essential psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific basis and practical applications (4th ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
To access the following chapters, click on the Essential Psychopharmacology, 4th ed tab on the Stahl Online website and select the appropriate chapter. Be sure to read all sections on the left navigation bar for each chapter.
Chapter 9, “Anxiety Disorder and Anxiolytics”
Stahl, S. M., & Grady, M. (2010). Stahl’s illustrated anxiety, stress, and PTSD. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
To access the following chapters, click on the Illustrated Guides tab and then the Anxiety, Stress, and PTSD tab.
Chapter 4, “First-Line Medications for PTSD”
Chapter 5, “Second-Line, Adjunct, and Investigational Medications for PTSD”
Strawn, J. R., Wehry, A. M., DelBello, M. P., Rynn, M. A., & Strakowski, S. (2012). Establishing the neurobiologic basis of treatment in children and adolescents with generalized anxiety disorder. Depression and Anxiety, 29(4), 328-339. doi:10.1002/da.21913
Hamilton, M. (1959). Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. PsycTESTS, doi:10.1037/t02824-0
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(2023). Advances in PTSD treatment: A review of current therapies and future directions. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 87, 102-115. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102115
(2022). Ethical considerations in prescribing anxiolytics: Balancing efficacy and dependency risks. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 45(3), 567-580. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2022.05.004
(2024). Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in anxiety treatment: A comprehensive review. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 115(2), 245-260. doi:10.1002/cpt.1234
Required Media
Laureate Education. (2016b). Case study: A middle-aged Caucasian man with anxiety [Interactive media file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note: This case study will serve as the foundation for this week’s Assignment.
Optional Resources
Lupi, M., Martinotti, G., Acciavatti, T., Pettorruso, M., Brunetti, M., Santacroce, R., & … Di Giannantonio, M. (2014). Pharmacological treatments in gambling disorder: A qualitative review. Biomed Research International, 2014. doi:10.1155/2014/537306
To prepare for this Assignment:
Review this week’s Learning Resources. Consider how to assess and treat clients requiring anxiolytic therapy.
The Assignment
Examine Case Study: A Middle-Aged Caucasian Man With Anxiety. You will be asked to make three decisions concerning the medication to prescribe to this client. Be sure to consider factors that might impact the client’s pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes.
At each decision point stop to complete the following:
Decision #1
Which decision did you select?
Why did you select this decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
What were you hoping to achieve by making this decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
Explain any difference between what you expected to achieve with Decision #1 and the results of the decision. Why were they different?
Decision #2
Why did you select this decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
What were you hoping to achieve by making this decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
Explain any difference between what you expected to achieve with Decision #2 and the results of the decision. Why were they different?
Decision #3
Why did you select this decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
What were you hoping to achieve by making this decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
Explain any difference between what you expected to achieve with Decision #3 and the results of the decision. Why were they different?
Also include how ethical considerations might impact your treatment plan and communication with clients.
