1
Mental Health Management Plan and
Analysis
Kailey Simpson
Chamberlain University:
Family Nurse Practitioner Track
NR603 Advanced Clinical
Diagnosis and Practice across
the Lifespan
, 2
Management Plan
Primary diagnosis
Social anxiety disorder
Recommended diagnostic testing
In this case study, based on clinical practice guidelines, I recommended a CBC, CMP,
and TSH to check for other potential medical conditions, a urine toxicology to determine if
substance use may be contributing to his symptoms, and the Mini-SPIN screening tool to
determine if further assessment is needed for a potential diagnosis of social anxiety disorder
(Buttaro et al., 2021).
Medications
First line medications for social anxiety disorder include selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors (SSRIs) as this class of antidepressants have been shown to be effective at managing
symptoms related to this condition (Murray, 2022). Therefore, initially I would prescribe
Sertraline 50 mg PO 1 tab daily. It may take up to six weeks for the medication to reach
maximum effectiveness. If the patient’s symptoms have not significantly improved within that
time frame, then it is recommended to increase the dose by 50 mg weekly until a maximum
effective dose is met (Murray, 2022). The maximum dose for this medication is 250 mg/day
(Murray, 2022).
Nonpharmacologic interventions
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) has been shown to reduce social anxiety symptoms
when compared to those who did not receive treatment. However, clinical trials have not
demonstrated that combination therapy with CBT and pharmacological management are superior
Mental Health Management Plan and
Analysis
Kailey Simpson
Chamberlain University:
Family Nurse Practitioner Track
NR603 Advanced Clinical
Diagnosis and Practice across
the Lifespan
, 2
Management Plan
Primary diagnosis
Social anxiety disorder
Recommended diagnostic testing
In this case study, based on clinical practice guidelines, I recommended a CBC, CMP,
and TSH to check for other potential medical conditions, a urine toxicology to determine if
substance use may be contributing to his symptoms, and the Mini-SPIN screening tool to
determine if further assessment is needed for a potential diagnosis of social anxiety disorder
(Buttaro et al., 2021).
Medications
First line medications for social anxiety disorder include selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors (SSRIs) as this class of antidepressants have been shown to be effective at managing
symptoms related to this condition (Murray, 2022). Therefore, initially I would prescribe
Sertraline 50 mg PO 1 tab daily. It may take up to six weeks for the medication to reach
maximum effectiveness. If the patient’s symptoms have not significantly improved within that
time frame, then it is recommended to increase the dose by 50 mg weekly until a maximum
effective dose is met (Murray, 2022). The maximum dose for this medication is 250 mg/day
(Murray, 2022).
Nonpharmacologic interventions
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) has been shown to reduce social anxiety symptoms
when compared to those who did not receive treatment. However, clinical trials have not
demonstrated that combination therapy with CBT and pharmacological management are superior
