Psychopharmacology Homework: Assessing and Treating Pediatric Patients with Mood Disorders
Length: 5 pages.
When pediatric patients present with mood disorders, the process of assessing, diagnosing, and treating them can be quite complex. Children not only present with different signs and symptoms than adult patients with the same disorders, they also metabolize medications much differently. Yet, there may be times when the same psychopharmacologic treatments may be used in both pediatric and adult cases with major depressive disorders. As a result, psychiatric nurse practitioners must exercise caution when prescribing psychotropic medications to these patients. For this Homework, as you examine the patient case study in this week's Learning Resources, consider how you might assess and treat pediatric patients presenting with mood disorders.
To prepare for this Homework:
o Review this Learning Resources, including the Medication Resources indicated for this week.
o Reflect on the psychopharmacologic treatments you might recommend for the assessment and treatment of pediatric patients requiring antidepressant therapy.
Task
Examine Case Study: An African American Child Suffering From Depression. You will be asked to make three decisions concerning the medication to prescribe to this patient. Be sure to consider factors that might impact the patient's pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes.
At each decision point, you should evaluate all options before selecting your decision and moving throughout the exercise. Before you make your decision, make sure that you have researched each option and that you evaluate the decision that you will select. Be sure to research each option using the primary literature.
• Introduction to the case (1 page)
o Briefly explain and summarize the case for this Homework. Be sure to include the specific patient factors that may impact your decision making when prescribing medication for this patient.
• Decision I (1 page)
o Which decision did you select?
o Why did you select this decision? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
o Why did you not select the other two options provided in the exercise? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
o What were you hoping to achieve by making this decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources (including the primary literature).
o Explain how ethical considerations may impact your treatment plan and communication with patients. Be specific and provide examples.
• Decision II (1 page)
o Why did you select this decision? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
o Why did you not select the other two options provided in the exercise? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
o What were you hoping to achieve by making this decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources (including the primary literature).
o Explain how ethical considerations may impact your treatment plan and communication with patients. Be specific and provide examples.
• Decision III (1 page)
o Why did you select this decision? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
o Why did you not select the other two options provided in the exercise? Be specific and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
o What were you hoping to achieve by making this decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources (including the primary literature).
o Explain how ethical considerations may impact your treatment plan and communication with patients. Be specific and provide examples.
• Conclusion (1 page)
Summarize your recommendations on the treatment options you selected for this patient. Be sure to justify your recommendations and support your response with clinically relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature.
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
o The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
o The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
o Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.