A Brief Case Study in Mental Health Nursing Essay Paper

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Case Study

A 35-year-old female patient, Ms. M, presents to the psychiatric outpatient clinic with a chief complaint of severe depression. Ms. M reports a three-month history of persistent poor mood, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, feelings of worthlessness as well as recurrent thoughts of death. Ms. M also describes significant fatigue, changes in appetite associated with weight loss and difficulty in concentrating. She however denies any history of mania or hypomania, psychotic symptoms or substance use disorder.

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Upon assessment, Ms. M’s PHQ-9 score is 23 which is an indication of severe depression. She has no significant medical history and is not currently taking any medications. Physical examination and laboratory investigations reveal no abnormalities. A Brief Case Study in Mental Health Nursing Essay Paper

Based on the severity of Ms. M’s symptoms and the impact on her daily functioning, a pharmacologic intervention is necessary. After discussing treatment options as well as the potential side effects, Ms. M agrees to initiate antidepressant therapy.

The following medication regimen is prescribed: A Brief Case Study in Mental Health Nursing Essay Paper

Sertraline (Zoloft)

Dose the prescribed dose is 50 mg orally once daily, initially

Rationale

Sertraline, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), is chosen as the first-line antidepressant because of its efficacy as well as a favorable side effect profile (Edinoff et al., 2021). Sertraline is indicated for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. The initial dose of 50 mg is ideal to minimize side effects, with subsequent planned titration based on clinical response of the patient to the medication.

Duration Ms. M will be advised to continue sertraline for at least 6 to 12 months to prevent relapse of depression. The duration may be extended based on individual response as well as the risk factors for recurrence.

Lorazepam (Ativan) PRN

Dose the prescribed dose is 0.5 mg orally as needed for anxiety and agitation

Rationale Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine anxiolytic which is prescribed on an as-needed basis to manage acute anxiety symptoms that may accompany severe depression or during the initial weeks of antidepressant treatment because anxiety may at some point increase (Lukačišinová et al., 2024). However, caution is exercised to limit its use due to the risk of dependence as well as sedation.

The duration Lorazepam is intended for short-term use only and should be discontinued as soon as Ms. M’s anxiety symptoms are adequately controlled by sertraline. A Brief Case Study in Mental Health Nursing Essay Paper

Vitamin D3 supplement

Dose 1000 IU orally once daily

Rationale Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with depressive symptoms therefore its supplementation may enhance the effectiveness of antidepressant therapy (Ceolin et al., 2021). Routine screening for vitamin D deficiency is essential among patients with depression and its supplementation is initiated to increase Ms. M’s nutritional status.

Duration Ms. M will be advised to continue vitamin D supplementation immediately, with regular monitoring of serum levels to ensure adequacy. A Brief Case Study in Mental Health Nursing Essay Paper

Besides, Ms. M will attend regular follow-up appointments for monitoring of symptom response, side effects as well as adherence to treatment. Appropriate adjustments to the medication regimen will be made based on clinical progress and the ability to tolerate the medication. The main objective of the treatment is to achieve remission of depressive symptoms and improve Ms. M’s quality of life. Discontinuation of antidepressant therapy will be considered after a sustained period of symptom remission which is likely to last 6 to 12 months, with gradual withdrawal to minimize the risk of relapse.

References

Ceolin, G., Mano, G. P. R., Hames, N. S., Antunes, L. D. C., Brietzke, E., Rieger, D. K., & Moreira, J. D. (2021). Vitamin D, depressive symptoms, and Covid-19 pandemic. Frontiers in neuroscience, 15, 670879.

Top of Form

Edinoff, A. N., Akuly, H. A., Hanna, T. A., Ochoa, C. O., Patti, S. J., Ghaffar, Y. A., … & Kaye, A. M. (2021). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and adverse effects: a narrative review. Neurology international, 13(3), 387-401.

Lukačišinová, A., Reissigová, J., Ortner-Hadžiabdić, M., Brkic, J., Okuyan, B., Volmer, D., … & Fialová, D. (2024). Prevalence, country-specific prescribing patterns and determinants of benzodiazepine use in community-residing older adults in 7 European countries. BMC geriatrics, 24(1), 240. A Brief Case Study in Mental Health Nursing Essay Paper

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A frustrating thing about a general Pharmacology course is that, while it may cover your area of interest, it also is general–and focuses on all aspects of Pharmacology. For this assignment, present the following: A brief case study of a patient in your area of medical practice (mental health). This patient MUST have a pharmacologic intervention. Discuss drugs used, doses, rationale for use, and duration–including why and when the drug may be discontinued. This should be original work, but does not have to be pages long. See the example below:
A 68-year-old male patient presents to the ED with chest pain and SOB. (Do not include all aspects of history–only those that are pertinent to DRUG decisions for the patient)
Tests run to rule in/out a cardiac event include:
With the above data, the following meds at the doses indicated were started:
Medications A,B and C will be continued as at-home meds. Drugs D, E, and F were used while the patient was in-house, and were discontinued at discharge.

My field of study is behavioral health (psychiatric nursing). A Brief Case Study in Mental Health Nursing Essay Paper