Mental Health Nursing I

NURS 1300

Unit VI
Abuse Related Disorders
 Objective 1
Define substance abuse

Substance abuse is the

overindulgence in, and dependence
on, a psychoactive material leading
to effects that are detrimental to
the individual’s physical or mental
health, or the welfare of others
 Objective 2
List the risk factors for substance
abuse
 Family or work conflict
 Family history
 Poor coping skills
 Favorable attitudes toward substance
abuse
 Peer pressure
 Personality or psychiatric disorder
 Objective 3
State the factors present in the
substance abuser
 Giving up past activities
 Work or school conflicts
 Aggressiveness and irritability
 Forgetfulness
 Feelings of hopelessness, depression, and
suicidal thoughts
 Frequent hangovers and “blackouts”
 Pressuring others to drink
 Legal trouble
 Drug paraphernalia
 Objective 4
List the major drugs that are abused

 Alcohol
 Stimulants
 Depressants
 Hallucinogens
 Narcotics
 Inhalants
 Designer drugs
 Objective 5
Compare the symptoms of alcohol
abuse and drug abuse
 Alcohol
 Physically addicting
 Distortions in thinking

Stimulants
 Psychological dependence
 Euphoria followed by profound
depression & sense of exhaustion
 Irritability, combativeness, & paranoia
 Depressants
 Physical dependency
 Sedation
 Impaired coordination

Narcotics
 Pleasant euphoria
 Feeling of immunity to stressors
 Hallucinogens
 Dream-like perceptions
 Altered sense of time
 Feelings that one has attained special
insight
 Intensified & labile emotions
 Depersonalization

Inhalants
 Produces mind-altering response
 Objective 6
List treatments for the client who
abuses

 Inpatient hospitalization for detox

 Medications
 Antabuse
 Methadone

 Catapres

 Narcan
 Objective 6 (cont’d)

 Support groups
 Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
 Narcotics Anonymous (NA)

 Al-Anon groups for family of abusers

 Aftercare and recovery

 Partial day programs
 Halfway houses
 Objective 7
Describe nursing care for the
substance abuser
 Physical assessment
 vital signs
 symptom scale

 Medication administration
 Patient teaching
 actions and consequences
 Provision of adequate hydration and
nutrition
 Reassurance and support for anxiety
 Relapse prevention
 Objective 8
Define abuse and victim

Abuse is a general term for the use or

treatment of someone or something that
causes some kind of harm or is unlawful
or wrong.

A victim is one who is harmed by or made

to suffer from an act, circumstance,
agency, or condition.
 Objective 9
Differentiate among different kinds of
abuse
 Sexual abuse
 Physical abuse
 Verbal abuse
 Emotional abuse
 Child abuse
 Incest
 Spousal abuse
 Elder abuse
 Objective 9 (cont’d)
Sexual abuse = improper use of another
person for sexual purposes, generally
without their consent or under physical
or psychological pressure
Physical abuse = when one person inflicts
physical violence or pain on another
Verbal abuse = when a person uses
profanity or says things that threaten or
make a person feel scared
Emotional abuse = coercion, humiliation,
intimidation, relational aggression,
parental alienation, or covert incest
 Objective 9 (cont’d)
Child abuse = abuse, usually physical,
emotional or sexual, directed at a child
Incest = sexual activity between close
family members
Spousal abuse = abuse, usually physical or
psychological, directed at one’s spouse
Elder abuse = abuse, most often physical or
in the form of psychological threats,
directed at the elderly, especially in
nursing homes and similar institutions
 Objective 10
Compare characteristics of an
abuser and the victim
 Characteristics of an abuser
 Jealousy
 Controlling behavior
 Quick involvement
 Isolation
 Blames others for feelings
 Cruelty to animals
 Hostility while drinking
 Breaking or striking objects when angry
 Threats of violence
 Use of force during an argument
 Characteristics of a victim
 Blames self for violence or harmful acts
 Dependent on abuser
 wants to be controlled
 feels need to be taken care of
 Poor self-image
 Expects abuser to change
 Returns to abuser after assault(s)
 Makes excuses for abuser
 Defends abuser’s actions
 Objective 11
Identify nursing care to help survivors
of abuse
 Assess client for possible abuse history
 Provide abuse hotline phone numbers
 Remove client from hostile situation
 Refer client to community resources
 Treat client for depression, anxiety, and
suicidal thoughts
 Provide supportive, nurturing
environment to discuss feelings
 Objective 12
Identify situations that constitute
elder abuse
 Objective 12 (cont’d)
 Physical abuse
 injury
 impairment
 physical pain
 threat of physical force
 inappropriate use of chemical and physical
restraints
 rough handling
 providing care
 moving the body

 administering medication
 Objective 12 (cont’d)

 Emotional abuse
 psychological
 verbal
 isolating the elder from family, friends,
and/or regular activities
 treating the elder like an infant
 Neglect or abandonment of elders by
caregivers
 Financial exploitation of an elder
 Objective 12 (cont’d)

 Self-neglect by elder
 leaving the stove on unattended
 denying or ignoring need for food, water,
hygiene, safety, or medications
 Sexual abuse of the elderly
 showing the elder pornographic material
 telling dirty jokes
 Healthcare fraud or healthcare abuse of
the elderly
 Objective 13
Know the procedures as stated in
Nebraska law for reporting suspected
abuse

See Report of Abuse handout