Nursing Care Plan
In major, or acute, depression, no less than five of the indicators highlighted below have to be experienced for a time period of at least 2 weeks. In addition, these symptoms must be a representation of a shift from previous behavior or mood. There must be a change of mood and general lack of or reduced interest. Therefore the patients observed showed several symptoms which included the following:
i. Children and adolescents showed prominent irritability. For the most part of the day or on most days the subjects had depressed mood.
ii. Very evident loss of interest most of the time
iii. Considerable change in appetite, enthusiasm, or weight
iv. Lack of sleep (insomnia) or excessive of it; sleep disorders almost every day
v. Feeling of anxiety or a sensation of extreme slowness
vi. Deficiency of energy and a daily feeling of exhaustion
vii. Incessant feeling of guilt, worthlessness or insignificance
viii. Loss of concentration power
ix. Intermittent thoughts of death or suicide.
However, in order to make sure that the subject was actually a patient of the major depression scrutiny was carried to ensure that the above symptoms don not come about as a result of normal grief, substance use, drugs, or alcohol. In addition, the symptoms must cause impairment to ordinary functions, for example personal relationships. Episodes of major depression have been show to endure for a period close to twenty weeks. And statistics further show that about 35% of patients diagnosed with depression have sudden attacks of resentment or annoyance which cab be described as aberrant and inappropriate (Durand and Barlow 2005).
Case Study
Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) relentlessly worry over many different activities and events and experience muscle tension, irritability, and an inability to relax (Durand and Barlow, 2007). In the hypothetical case (Case Study ), Sarah anxiety caused her to call in sick, avoid stressful situations, and hold back in making decisions out of fear of making bigger mistakes. Sarah anxieties worsened and his performance declined drastically. After death of her one parent, she is unable to have stable family life, but hers anxieties continued to cause her to question her competency. The case study describes Sarah’ physical symptoms as somatic including tension, being easily distracted, becoming easily irritated, throbbing headaches, body aches and pains and fatigue. She states she feels drained much of the time, has low self-esteem, and feels “worthless” and “lazy”. He has had bouts of intense panic, in which his heart races, he sweats profusely, and feels dizziness. Sarah’ symptoms have caused severe interference with his life by preventing him to function at work and at home (Case Study 5).
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