Reflective Essay on Learning Disabilities – Psychological Well-being

Reflective Essay on Learning Disabilities – Psychological Well-being

The purpose of this reflective essay is to reflect on learning disabilities, focusing on mental health and psychological well-being. It provides a critical investigation of the assessment process; formal and informal assessments; application of legal, ethical, and socio-political factors to the process; and the role and function of the nursing profession to the theory and practice of assessment. The case of Janet, an epileptic patient, is the focus of the assessment in this essay.

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1. Process of Assessment

Assessment is the first step to diagnosing mental disorders. A mental health assessment is a multifaceted intellectual activity involving the hypothesis formulation of a certain individual, which serves as the basis for deciding on data to be collected and interpreted, as well as for drawing conclusions. A full clinical assessment goes hand-in-hand with mental health assessment, which involves evaluating and measuring systematically such factors in an individual as psychological, biological, and social to assess a need for a possible psychological treatment (Elder, Evans, and Nizette 2013).

Mental health nursing maintains its keystone in an accurate and methodical biopsychosocial and spiritual assessment. The initial process of assessment ascertains whether the individual has a mental health problem; identifies the problem; the most appropriate treatment; and whether there is coexisting health or social problems requiring attention or treatment. Thus, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive assessment to determine the person’s diagnosis and develop a suitable treatment plan. According to mental professionals, mental disorders may be classified according to behavioural patterns as well as patterns of thought and emotion. By understanding classification systems, mental health nurses enable professional and effective communication with other health disciplines and contribute to research and in selecting effective interventions (Elder et al. 2013; Basavanthappa 2007).

Assessment is crucial as the client must be assessed holistically, in which a relevant information about his/her life, behaviour, and feelings must become integrated. Attainment of optimum level of health for the client is the focus of such care (Shives 2008). Hopp and Rittenmeyer (2012) emphasised that it is important to do mental notes when doing an assessment since this would provide some clue as to how the person is feeling. Hence, one must look at the appearance, behaviour, speech, emotional state, and thinking of the person being assessed. However, looking into these areas is not enough since misinterpretation or erroneous assumptions may take place. Rather, it is necessary to take into account the context, setting, social norms, and beliefs for the individual being assessed (Pender, Murdaugh, and Parsons 2006). Needs-led assessment will allow the nurse to place more emphasis on finding solutions (Coffey and Hannigan 2003).

2. Risk Assessment

A significant role is played by risk assessment and management in the practice of mental health nurses and multi-disciplinary teams. These risks include threat/danger to others as well as self-harm, amongst others. Despite the presence of risks however, a balance must be considered between the needs of each individual service user (client) and people’s safety and protection. A further emphasis is placed on paucity of information and lack of knowledge about such risks, thereby leading to ‘clinical gambling’ that can further result in mishaps (Cordall 2009). It is necessary to provide focus on improved consistency in applying risk assessment and management strategies, considering their central role in the practice of mental health. Admittedly, risk assessment and management went through certain developments, including the area/s to be understood about risk assessment; its clarity and what must be assessed; strategy developments in nursing risk; proposals; and leaned enquiry-based lessons. Hence, risk language must be standardised and simplified, which requires improving clarity in the vital roles of the concept (Cordall 2009).

When one speaks of risk assessment in mental health services, he/she deals with the broader possibility (risk) of an event or behaviour (outcome). The outcome is the principal area of interest since it is commonly connected to an extent of severity, which could be associated with the indications of dangerousness/illness. Important regard is given to the impact of such severity because both a high outcome risk with low impact and a low outcome risk with high impact can take place (Kettles and Woods 2009).

A useful way to consider the manner through which events take place is much the same as researchers’ predictive ability to test a number of risk assessments, which is also a useful way to evaluate the success of outcomes. Contingency tables allow an examination of correct predictions and error rates, and are hence an excellent means to present these results. On the other hand, the severity of behaviour refers to the level of intensity of risk occurring, and may be classified as mild, moderate, or severe (Kettles and Woods 2009). Clinical practice in a range of settings involves the core feature of violence risk assessment. The focus on risk to others in the mental nursing health practice is that ignoring or failing to acknowledge it can leave medical pers………