Answers:

Introduction:

The Neuman’s assessment model provides a framework to identify the potential stressors in the environment of the mental health consumer and develop measures to better deal or prevent the stressors to restore equilibrium to the individual. The Driscoll reflective model uses three essential questions: “What?”, “So what?”, and “Now what?” to complete the reflective activity. This reflective model has been widely used by nurses to enhance their decision-making abilities (Ashoorian and Davidson 2021). This essay seeks to critically reflect on the person-centered mental health assessment carried out by the author by using Driscoll reflective model (Snowdon 2018) on a mental health consumer (Esterhuizen 2019). The author aims to reflect on the use of the Neuman’s assessment model as a means of intervention to understand the case of Gary (Lawson 2021). Additionally, the essay reflects upon clinical decision-making ability of the author for the management of complex cases in mental health nursing settings.

What:

The person-centered assessment was centered on Gary, using the pre-defined questions of the Neuman’s assessment model tailored to suit the consumer’s circumstances (Symonds et al. 2020). Gary is a 20-year old, male consumer who is currently unemployed. During his teenage, he had started to become distant from his mother, had very limited friends and engaged in abusing drugs like marijuana with local young males. Gradually his behvaiour started becoming erratic and bizarre, followed by an event of fire setting which Gary indicated was done on the commends of a voice as a part of bombing campaign to signal his other brothers. He had been admitted to CAMHS mental health unit under the Mental Health Act (1983, Section 2). He was diagnosed with dug induced psychosis and was prescribed with Olanzapine (Citrome et al. 2019). Since the discharge at age thirteen, he remained a threat to his sister and began inflicting oneself with cuts on his arms and legs. On assessment, the author found that there were various stressors in his environment, which makes him susceptible to another psychotic episode. The stressors identified are: lack of contact with one’s family members (in intermittent contact with Nan, no contact with mother) (Aggarwal and Patton 2018), living in a temporary accommodation, unemployment, absence of father, inability to accept his mother’s relationship with her current partner, and lack of adequate social support. It is conceptualized that he engages in inflicting self-injury as a way to cope with the stressors described above (Lockwood et al. 2017). The supports available to Gary are a reasonable relationship with his youth worker, his Nan, a supportive friend named Tor and the support of the community mental health team.