Hamilton Depression Rating Scale: Screening Tool for Depression

Case Study
Discussion
Purpose
The purpose of the graded collaborative discussions is to engage faculty and students in an interactive dialogue to assist the student in organizing, integrating, applying, and critically appraising knowledge regarding the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. Scholarly information obtained from credible sources and professional communication are required. Application of information to professional experiences promotes the analysis and use of principles, knowledge, and information learned and related to real-life professional situations. Meaningful dialogue among faculty and students fosters the development of a learning community as ideas, perspectives, and knowledge are shared.  
Course Outcomes
This assignment enables the student to meet the following course outcomes:
CO 4: Incorporate unique patient cultural preferences, values, and health beliefs in the care of the mental health patient. (POs 3, 5)   
CO 5: Formulate an evidence-based therapeutic management plan for common mental health diagnoses based on the needs of the patient and family (PO 5)    
Due Date
Initial posts are due to the discussion board by Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. MT. Instructor and peer responses are due by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. MT. Students must post on a minimum of two separate days. A 10% late penalty will be imposed for discussions posted after the deadline Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. MT, regardless of the number of days late. NOTHING will be accepted after 11:59 p.m. MT on Sunday (i.e., the student will receive an automatic 0).  
Total Points Possible
This discussion is worth a total of 100 points.
Preparing the Assignment
Follow these guidelines when completing each component of the assignment. Contact your course faculty if you have questions.
Read the case study below and answer the questions in your initial post.
Kristin is a 26-year-old client who presents to the outpatient clinic with complaints of "not liking myself." She states she frequently feels angry without provocation and cries often. She has lost 10 lbs. in the past month and states she has no appetite. Kristin reports nightly sleep difficulty, both falling and staying asleep. Her mind just can't seem to relax enough so she can sleep. She has tried melatonin and the Calm app mindfulness techniques; they help some nights but not always. She endorses having difficulty focusing for long periods, and she has missed several days of work within the past month due to her symptoms. No hallucinations or delusions are voiced. She states "The only thing that makes me feel better is shopping online. I love getting packages every day." She is not experiencing financial issues from online shopping, but she has depleted her savings account. She reports that when she is not sad, she loves crafting and sometimes has days where she can craft "all day and all night." The crafting can last for 3-4 days in a row. She denies thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
Past Psychiatric History 
self-reported "panic attacks" including shortness of breath and nausea; no formal psychiatric diagnosis, no treatment
Past Medical History 
no medical or surgical history 
no known allergies 
Social history 
no alcohol use 
vapes nicotine daily
no illicit drug use 
single, not in a relationship currently, prefers male partners.
lives with two roommates
educational level: bachelor's degree 
employment: employed full time as a technical writer, works from home 
hobbies: crochet and papercrafts
Family history 
mother: alive, 55, no medical history, psychiatric history of depression  
father: alive, 57, history of type 2 DM, no psychiatric history 
siblings: only child 
Medications 
no prescription medications 
Mental Status Examination
Casual attire, well-groomed, no motor abnormalities. Cooperative, good eye contact. Alert and oriented x 3. Speech is clear, normal rate and volume. Mood is depressed, irritable, and angry. Affect is appropriate, congruent to mood. Does not appear to respond to external stimuli. Memory grossly intact, fair concentration and attention. Thought processes are coherent with average intellectual functioning. Thought processes appear organized and content is appropriate to subject. Denies suicidality or homicidality. Insight and judgment are fair.
Application of Knowledge: The student post demonstrates the application of knowledge.
Select an appropriate screening tool for Kristin and provide a score for the tool.
Provide a rationale for the screening tool you selected.
Determine the most likely diagnosis for Kristin based on the available information.
Provide the ICD-10-CM code for the selected diagnosis
Provide a treatment plan with rationale for each plan step.
Integration of Evidence: The student post provides support from a minimum of one scholarly in-text citation in addition to the textbook.  
Engagement in Meaningful Dialogue: The student responds to a student peer and course faculty to further dialogue. 
Substantive posts contribute new, novel perspectives to the discussion using original dialogue (not quotes from sources).
Student responds to at least one peer.
Student responds to all direct questions posed by faculty.
Post includes evidence from at least one scholarly resource to support interactive dialogue.
Professionalism in Communication: The student presents information in a logical, meaningful, and understandable sequence, and is relevant to the discussion topic.  
Grammar, spelling, and/or punctuation are accurate. 
Good writing calls for the limited use of direct quotes. Direct quotes in discussions are to be limited to one short quotation (not to exceed 10 words). The quote must add substantively to the discussion. 
Reference Citation: The student provides references that have complete information as required by APA Style (0-1 errors). In-text citations are included for all references AND references are included for all in-text citations (0 errors). 
Wednesday Participation Requirement: The student provides a substantive response to the graded discussion question(s) or topic(s), posted by the course faculty (not a response to a peer), by Wednesday, 11:59 p.m. MT of each week. 
Total Participation Requirement: The student provides at least three substantive posts (one to the initial question or topic, one to a student peer, and one to a faculty question) on two different days during the week.