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Running head: CLINICAL REFLECTION 1

Reflection on work placement (mental health case)

Student Name

Institution Affiliation

CLINICAL REFLECTION 2

Introduction

Depression is categorized as a mood disorder that often leads to feelings of loss of interest

and sadness. It is known to highly affect the way a person thinks, behaves or feels. It is attributed

to a variety of physical and emotional problems that affect the way one lives or responds to issues

in life (Schulz & Arora, 2015). The following reflective study aims at presenting the challenges

encountered while dealing with a 30-year-old divorced man with two teenagers who were

reportedly disturbing the peace of his neighbors in his residential area. The patient was presented

with complains of angry outbursts and irritability that threatened those who lived around him. He

was also reported to have physical problems, agitation, and anxiety of unexplained origin. In

addition, the patient had also lost a few pounds of weight owing to the loss of appetite and sleep

disturbances. The reflection deals with the complications associated with handling such an

individual and distinguishing that from people who mean intentional harm for the people around.

I have applied Gibbs’ reflective cycle which assists in writing the chronology of phases of the

activity or experience using structured headings (Oxford Brookes University, 2013).

Description

During my clinical placement, we received a phone call from a concerned neighbor of one

of the residential areas on the outskirts of our main town. The concerned neighbor argued that the

man had lost control following the events leading to his divorce a few months ago. She is particular

thought that his neighbor had ‘gone mad’ and the team needed to take him to a psychiatry unit for

evaluation. We were dispatched to the scene with the team ready to take on what would present.

We found the man throwing items all over the house and his two teens could not believe what their

father was doing. We managed to restrain him though after a huge struggle. On examination, the

patient looked wasted and restless with obvious signs of clear lack of sleep probably for a few days

CLINICAL REFLECTION 3

if not more. He was anxious and thought that we were taking him away from his children to kill

him. I immediately recognized this as signs of depression.

On the other hand, he continued throwing angry tantrums to us and the nurse who

accompanied us to the scene gave him chlorpromazine injection though with our help in restraining

him. The scene attracted many people in the neighborhood who came to witness what was

happening. Attempts to keep them away were in vain as the team was quite small. The presence

of neighbors in the compound made him react with anger and made attempts to free himself as he

thought the people would harm him.

Feelings

In the beginning, I was so afraid when I heard of the violent nature of the patient. Upon

inquiry, I heard that the patient had not harmed any person which gave me the courage to

accompany the team to the site. Anxiety gripped me upon reaching the clients home as I did not

know how he would react when he saw us. The feeling was intensified by the faces of his two

teens who were holding each other while crying. At first, I thought we would need backup from

security officers but the rest of the team members said we would manage to control him. I moved

swiftly to calm the children and reassuring them that we would take care of their father

accordingly. I must admit that I felt good when I saw the rest of the team escorting the man to the

ambulance.

Evaluation

The incident brought forth a whole spectrum of experience that helped to shape my

response to other incidences that followed later. A few things went well during the practice and

were quite crucial in later days. The quick identification of the client as one having depression

CLINICAL REFLECTION 4

helped in containing him as fast as possible. The action was taken without causing any harm to the

client. On the other hand, the action I took of calming down the children as well as reassuring them

was a great step. The children who were caught up in the confusion of their caregiver turning

violent needed more than calming them down. However, a few things went wrong during the

exercise and they formed a good learning platform. For instance, the cloud that came to witness

the scene was uncontrolled that made the client suspicious. The team failed to exercise caution in

approaching and handling a client who could harm them. In addition, no family member was

contacted to help talk to the man to avoid the scene.

Moreover, the children were left under the custody of their neighbor who assured our team

leader that she would take care of them as their father was being attended to. The uncontrolled

cloud brought confusion on the scene with some even blocking the ambulance from leaving the

premises. It was not easy to guarantee the safety of the client’s property as people started streaming

into his compound. Furthermore, leaving the children without the care of their guardian would

compromise their security and care would not be guaranteed. It is recommended that emergency

responders quickly detect signs of mental distress and apply the recommended techniques in the

process of de-escalating what could be potentially dangerous (Vibha & Saddichha, 2010).

Conclusion

Emergency responders continue to face a rising number of calls involving people with

mental and behavioral issues. Responding to such cases is likely to be instrumental to emergency

care as it affects a significant number of people. As for the case above, I do admit that I would

have called the security agencies to help control the people and manage the cloud. It would have

helped control the cloud and protect the client’s property. On the other hand, a family member

CLINICAL REFLECTION 5

needed to be informed of the situation and participate in the process. The involvement of a family

member helps in coordinating care.

Action plan

The responders are the first contact and should make appropriate referrals to clients for

appropriate management. Situations like the one witnessed in the case above should not be

encouraged. If such a situation happens again, I would place enough team in place to make sure

the cloud is controlled should the situation cause a scene. On the other hand, I would make sure a

close relative is informed to accompany the team to the site or residence of the client. In addition,

safety measures need to be put in place to protect the property of the client even after he/she is

taken away for treatment by informing security agencies to provide the security. Developing my

leadership skills to help coordinate the team would also help a great deal.

CLINICAL REFLECTION 6

References

Oxford Brookes University. (2013). Reflective writing : about Gibbs reflective cycle. Oxford

Brookes University, (Gibbs), 1–4. Retrieved from

http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/upgrade/study-skills/reflective-gibbs.html

Schulz, P. E., & Arora, G. (2015). Depression. Continuum (Minneapolis, Minn.).

https://doi.org/10.1212/01.CON.0000466664.35650.b4

Vibha, P., & Saddichha, S. (2010). The burden of behavioral emergencies: Need for specialist

emergency services. Internal and Emergency Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11739-

010-0397-2

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