Being rich and famous does not protect people from the possibility of developing a mental illness. An important fact to remember is that such individuals also struggle with severe diseases, which they hide under the smile in the spotlights. Identifying a cognitive impairment among well-known individuals is based on showing competency in the nursing field, successfully assessing a person’s state of health, and determining the diagnosis.
A famous Disney star Demi Lovato had a long time struggle with bipolar disorder, which can be detected based on her behavior. Lovato is a United States-based singer and actress, who was born in 1992 in New Mexico. She started her acting career in 2002, only at ten years old, which led to bullying at school. She spoke out about her mental health struggles with bipolar disorder, anorexia nervosa, self-harm, and going into rehab at age 18 due to the significant pressure caused by fame.
Observing Lovato throughout her career, one can identify apparent mental disease using the mental status exam. Her weight has been unstable, as she repeatedly gained and lost body mass and demonstrated aggressive behavior change. Her judgment of certain things significantly altered in a few months, based upon interview assessment, which is typical for people with bipolar disorder. A professional can diagnose her depressed state based on a range of factors.
Considering the DSM-IV definition of bipolar disorder, it can be established that Demi Lovato’s has an assertive diagnosis. DSM-IV includes depressive and manic episodes as main symptoms, which have been apparent in the singer’s career (“Bipolar Disorder (DSM-IV-TR #296.0-296.89)”, n.d.). The nursing diagnosis that can be recognized is a risk for situational low self-esteem, which could influence professional and personal relationships and cause self-harm. The second diagnosis is disturbed sleep pattern during mania, which is reflected in only several hours of sleep in a week. To prevent such risks, there is a need to develop an emotional evaluation plan and continuously assess and report the emotional state to the specialist to decrease depressive episodes. To avoid sleep deprivation, there is a need for sleep monitoring, tracking of mental condition at each state stage, and having a strict schedule of sleeping hygiene.
As evident from Demi Lovato’s example, celebrities are at higher risk of developing severe mental health problems. The singer’s cognitive impairment history concluded in diagnosing bipolar disorder, which a professional may identify by assessing her behavioral patterns throughout the years. Upon detecting the disease based on DSM-IV, two nursing diagnoses were determined and sufficient interventions to avoid further occurrences of depressive and manic episodes.
Reference
Bipolar Disorder (DSM-IV-TR #296.0-296.89) (n.d). Web.