The psychological disorder selected for this report is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is often characterized by difficulty in paying attention or, in some cases, excessive activity without due consideration of the consequences (Patros, Alderson, Kasper, Tarle, Lea, & Hudec, 2016). The disorder is prevalent among children, affecting between 5% and 7% of children, but also affects a significant number of adults, who often find themselves experiencing impulsiveness to engage in specific actions or activities. Between 30% and 50% of children diagnosed with ADHD continue showing these symptoms in their adulthood considering that these symptoms are not handled in an effective way (Bora & Pantelis, 2016). The management of ADHD involves a combination of counseling, lifestyle changes, as well as, medication. The expectation is that that the patients involved will experience a reduction in their impulsiveness to engage in specific actions or activities.
In the case of selected, the first decision involved having to begin Ritalin (methylphenidate) chewable tablets 10 mg orally in the morning. Methylphenidate is considered as the first line of medication that is used when treating ADHD in children attributed to the fact that its side effects are minimized significantly (Myer, Boland, & Faraone, 2018). In the case of Katie, the decision to put her on Ritalin (methylphenidate) is defined by the fact that this medication will help towards improving on her symptoms. From the results, one of the key aspects to note is that Katie has experienced an improvement in her symptoms, which has had key impacts on her academic performance. However, it is important to consider the fact that Katie is experiencing a side effect where she reports that her “heart felt funny,” as it is beating about 130 beats per minute, which is a side effect associated with the drug.
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After an analysis of the side effect noted, the next decision involves having to discontinue Ritalin and begin Adderall XR 15 mg orally daily. Adderall XR refers to a stimulant that targets the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control; thus, acting as a viable approach towards effective treatment of ADHD (Henderson, 2016). The decision to put Katie on Adderall XR has helped improve her ability to maintain attention throughout the school day. However, Katie is also experiencing a challenge due to tachycardia, which refers to the heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute. The last decision would involve decreasing Adderall XR 15 mg to 10 mg orally daily. Reducing the dosage of the drug would help in minimizing the underlying side effects noted, which would help in reducing her heart rate. During the next visit, the drug will be re-evaluated to determine whether there is need for a reduction of the dosage to use as part of the treatment process.
The potential impacts, as have been indicated above, play a critical role in suggesting prospective treatment plans that ought to be considered, as they help in ensuring that the drugs considered help towards minimizing overall side effects to improve on expected health outcomes. When making a decision on pharmacotherapeutics, it is important to consider the side effects associated with the drugs in question, as this would help in ensuring that the patient is able to achieve best and most prospective health outcomes (Perugi et al., 2019). In the case of Katie, this can be seen from the decision to reduce the dosage of the medication that she is taking, which would help minimize her exposure to tachycardia.
References
Bora, E., & Pantelis, C. (2016). Meta-analysis of social cognition in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): comparison with healthy controls and autistic spectrum disorder. Psychological medicine , 46 (4), 699-716.
Henderson, G. L. (2016). Extended-release, orally disintegrating mixed amphetamine salts for ADHD: patients taking the capsule form of extended-released mixed amphetamine salts can be switched to this new orally disintegrating formulation, which is bioequivalent. Current Psychiatry , 15 (3), 71-72.
Myer, N. M., Boland, J. R., & Faraone, S. V. (2018). Pharmacogenetics predictors of methylphenidate efficacy in childhood ADHD. Molecular psychiatry , 23 (9), 1929-1936.
Patros, C. H., Alderson, R. M., Kasper, L. J., Tarle, S. J., Lea, S. E., & Hudec, K. L. (2016). Choice-impulsivity in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A meta-analytic review. Clinical Psychology Review , 43 , 162-174.
Perugi, G., Pallucchini, A., Rizzato, S., De Rossi, P., Sani, G., Maremmani, A. G., ... & Maremmani, I. (2019). Pharmacotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) disorder with comorbid substance-use disorder (SUD). Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy , 20 (3), 343-355.
