ABSTRACT
This chapter presents detailed neurobiological, behavioral, and emotional information on the most common psychiatric disorders likely to be encountered by advanced psychiatric mental health nurses (APMHN) in their clinical practice. It explains the key components of empathetic mental health assessment and diagnosis to effectively evaluate clients presenting with each disorder, and provides case-based models for doing so. It also provides key psychiatric terminology necessary for APMHNs to utilize in documenting their clinical findings so that they can accurately communicate with other health and mental health professionals to best ensure that each client gets appropriate care.
