A client is referred to your clinic following an inpatient hospitalization for treatment of opioid use disorder. The client complains of depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia. How would you determine what the “actual” issue is with this client? Discus the role of comprehensive assessment in the differential diagnosis, with emphasis on how you would approach this assessment. Include a discussion of how DSM-5 criteria can help you to distinguish between these conditions.  What would the treatment plan be?  Be sure to include ethical/legal considerations in your response.

A client is referred to your clinic following an inpatient hospitalization for treatment of opioid use disorder. The client complains of depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia. How would you determine what the “actual” issue is with this client?

Opioid use disorder is marked by symptoms such as cravings for opioids, increased tolerance with use, and withdrawal symptoms after discontinuation. It can also mean a pattern of opioid use that causes significant impairment or distress. One of the ways used to diagnose OUD is unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control use, which impairs individuals’ ability to fulfill obligations at work, school, or home. Opioid use disorder is also diagnosed through the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). The MINI tool helps evaluate whether the opioid use disorder is moderate or severe.

Unique treatment approaches to opioid use disorder

Discuss the role of comprehensive assessment in the differential diagnosis, emphasizing how you would approach this assessment.

A comprehensive health assessment begins with performing a health history. This is where providers analyze the client’s past illnesses and injuries, hospitalizations, allergies, and surgeries. This is followed by a physical examination, which includes vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature. I would approach this assessment by performing a thorough evaluation by obtaining urine drug testing, and prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) reports. Also, I would check for withdrawal symptoms, recurrent opioid use in situations in which it is physically hazardous, a strong desire or urge to use opioids, and unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control opioid use. APA