Personality and Mood Disorders Q 11
Nurse Marge teaches the family of a client with major depression disorder. Which of the following information should be included in the teaching? Select all that apply.
A. Depression is characterized by sadness, feelings of hopelessness, and decreased self-worth
B. It is common for a pressed individual to have thoughts of suicide.
C. Attempts to cheer up a person with depression are often helpful.
D. Talk therapy, along with antidepressant medications, is usually the treatment.
E. Someone with depression may be preoccupied with spending money and too busy to sleep.
F. Encourage a person with depression to keep a regular routine of activity and rest.
Correct Answer: A, B, D, F
These statements about major depressive disorders provide correct information and will be helpful to the client’s family. Depression exists on a continuum of severity, ranging from relatively mild, transient states of low mood to severe, long term symptoms that have a major impact on a person’s quality of life. When a person’s symptoms have reached the chronic end of the spectrum and require professional treatment, it’s typically referred to as clinical depression.
Option A: Also known as major depressive disorder or unipolar depression, this form is what most people think of when they hear “depression.” Major depression is typically characterized by sadness, feelings of emptiness, and feelings of worthlessness or guilt.
Option B: Thinking about death or dying or planning or attempting suicide is a symptom of major depression. Encourage clients to express feelings (anger, sadness, guilt) and come up with alternative ways to handle feelings of anger and frustration.
Option C: It is better to acknowledge the client’s sad mood and offer reassurance that his mood will improve. Initially, provide activities that require minimal concentration (e.g., drawing, playing simple board games). Depressed people lack concentration and memory. Activities that have no “right or wrong” or “winner or loser” minimizes opportunities for the client to put himself/herself down.
Option D: Psychotherapy is another popular choice for treating depression, both on its own and combined with antidepressants. Psychotherapy involves working with a therapist, either by yourself or with a group, to talk through how you feel, your experiences, and how you view yourself and the world.
Option E: This is more characteristic of someone in a manic phase of bipolar disorder. Have valuables, credit cards, and large sums of money sent home with family or put in hospital safe until the client is discharged. During manic episodes, people give away valuables and money indiscriminately to strangers, often leaving themselves broke and in debt.
Option F: When the client is in the most depressed state, Involve the client in a one-to-one activity. Maximizes the potential for interactions while minimizing anxiety levels. Involve the client in gross motor activities that call for very little concentration (e.g., walking). Such activities will aid in relieving tensions and might help in elevating the mood.