Therapeutic Interventions in Mental Health Nursing
Mood refers to the individual's pervasive and enduring emotional state. Affect is the outward expression of the client's emotional state. Depressive episodes are accompanied with lack of energy, exhaustion, agitation, noise intolerance, and slow thinking process, all of which make decisions difficult. In the case of John who went through a divorce that ends the 17 years of marriage and currently unemployed can trigger depression. Under such circumstances, nearly everyone will, of course, be sad but not everyone will be depressed. A predisposition to depression, low levels of social support, makes some people more vulnerable. These mood alterations are normal to life and do not interfere with the person's life. However, when it does, afflicting him with drastic and long term sadness, agitation, or elation. Accompanying self-doubt, guilt, and anger alter life activities especially those that involves self – esteem, occupation, and relationship these becomes clinical depression; true clinical depression are called mood disorders.
The main types of depression (MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, 2006) include major depression, dysthymia and atypical depression. A major depressive episode lasts at least 2 weeks, during which the person experiences a depressed mood or loss of pleasure in nearly in all activities. In addition, four of the following symptoms are present: changes in appetite, sleep, weight; decreased energy, feelings of worthlessness or guilt; difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions; or recurrent thoughts of death or suicidal ideation, plans or attempts (American Psychiatric Association, 2000); but tends to continue for at least 6 months, depression is classified as minor depression if less than five symptoms are present for the last two weeks. Dysthmia or dysthmic disorder is characterized by at least 2 years of depressed mood for more days than not with some...