Symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder

Discuss about the Depression On The Individual And People Its Symptoms And Impact.

According to researchers, approximately 9.7 percent of the total population that include more than 2.1 million individuals are suffering from depression along with mood disorder (Evans, Nizette & O’Brien, 2017). The data from European Union Countries states that one among 15 people is found to be suffering from severe depression. Moreover according to the above-mentioned data, at least one mental disorder is reported every year (Evans et al., 2017). The Major Depressive Disorder can be defined as a common psychological issue highly prevalent in era. The mentioned disorder results in severe dysfunction as well as distress which take place due to financial burden from society, community and family (Citrome, 2018). In this report, the depression, its symptoms and impact of the depression on the individual and people around him will be discussed. Moreover, pharmacological treatments and their side effects along with the role of nurses will be discussed in this report.

The fact that every individual goes through grief or temporary sadness at a certain phase of their life is completely normal. However, if this sadness interferes with the activities of daily life and becomes persistent, the issue shifts from being normal to abnormal (Evans et al., 2017).  According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is referred to the loss of pleasure or interest in daily work along with depressed mood for more than 2 weeks. The DSM-5 has also provided 5 to 7 more symptoms that need to be considered while discussing the above mentioned mental disorder (Ng, How &Ng, 2016). These symptoms include an irritable and depressed mood throughout the day on regular basis, the appearance of the individual to be tearful, sad and empty, decreased amount of interest in most of the daily activities and drastic loss of weight etc (Ng, How &Ng, 2016). Other symptoms include Insomnia or hypersomnia, retardation or psychomotor agitation, fatigue along with an inappropriate feeling of guilt and worthlessness. Individuals who are suffering from MDD face difficulty to concentrate and develop suicidal thoughts or even plan suicidal activities etc (Ng, How &Ng, 2016). Several reasons are there for the development of MDD in an individual. These reasons are environmental factors, genetics and change in neurotransmission in the brain. It has been found that the tendency of developing MDD is twice in Female compared to that of male (Evans et al, 2017).

Impact of Major Depressive Disorder

MDD is related to signs that include loss of pleasure and depressed mood. Although the mentioned disorder has several numbers of features, it does not necessarily include all of the above-mentioned symptoms (Evans et al, 2017). An individual who is suffering from MD is found to losing interest in grooming, developing psychomotor retardation that includes thinking as well as moving slowly. As a result, they need to give more effort for performing simple tasks (Evans et al, 2017).  According to healthcare professionals, the majority of the client report to experience sleep disturbance either in the form of insomnia or hypersomnia (Rahim & Rashid, 2017).

A person suffering from MDD develops an egocentric attitude. They become unable to understand that others also have requirements and solely concentrate on their own requirements (Evans et al, 2017). Feeling of being important, failure and not loved develop in individuals suffering from MDD. Along with that, they develop poor memory, poor connection with people around them and difficulties in making simple decisions. Apart from that, individuals suffering from depression also suffer from frequent delusions of guilt (Rahim & Rashid, 2017). Loss of appetite, decrement in sexual interests, fatigue and loss of weight are biological symptoms of depression (Sato &Yeh, 2013). The impact of MDD is not confined o only the person suffering from it but to all the individuals who are attached to him. The individual’s friends and family also get negatively affected by his depression. It is a condition which contributes to morality as well as morbidity along with the quality of life (Sato &Yeh, 2013).

Major depression imposes a negative impact on the individual’s quality of life. It results in significant impairment in a daily relationship, social relationships, leisure as well as occupational activities (Steiner, 2017).When it comes to professional activities, people with MDD evidence decrement in productivity and have greater chances of getting terminated. Educational activities also get influenced by MDD negatively. Students with MDD remain absent in the class and are more likely to drop out prematurely from schools (Steiner, 2017). Along with that depression enhances the tendency of people to increase smoking, become obese and low physical activity (Raheetal., 2016). MDD not only impose an impact on the mental wellbeing of an individual but also influence his physical as well as psychological wellbeing (Ahlström, Skärsäter& Danielson, 2009). People will MDD often develop a negative relationship with friends, families as well as colleagues in their workplace. The reasons behind this can b the hesitation of the individual o efficiently communicate with their friends, family as well as society (Ahlström, Skärsäter& Danielson, 2009). Along with developing symptoms of guilt and fatigue, people often develop risky behaviours like suicidal attempts and self-harming activities (Sato &Yeh, 2013). According to Stubbs et al. (2017), individuals with depression are at great risk from chronic physical diseases that include metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Treatments for Major Depressive Disorder

MDD not only impose a negative impact on the individual but also on their families. It is the responsibility of the family members to ensure that they will not go through any risks caused by the patient (Sudarat et al. 2014). It is a matter of discussion that how the mental health and social well-being of the family members get affected while they deal with the individual suffering from MDD (Ahlström et al., 2009). The mental health o children also get highly impacted when they deal with an individual who is suffering from MDD. While some children find it difficult to understand that their parent has MDD, several children are found o be accepting the issue as it is and taking responsibilities on their own shoulder by adopting jobs like washing, cooking and taking care of their siblings (Ahlström et al., 2009). This in turn not only spoilt their experience of childhood but also results in developing anxiousness and worriedness since they are acting like an adult in a premature age (Ahlström et al., 2009). Thus, it can be understood that MDD in one individual affects the wellbeing as well as relationships with the whole family negatively (Ahlström et al., 2009).

MDD has several treatments that can help an individual to get completely recovered. Some of the crucial treatments include cognitive behaviour therapy, group therapy, client motivation therapy and finally pharmacology that includes hospitalization and provision of antidepressants in case the situation of the patient is highly crucial (Evans et al., 2017). Healthcare professionals are generally found to be prescribing antidepressants medication to patients. Antidepressants are provided to the healthcare service users to maintain treatment of depression and prevent the disorder to relapse. Along with that antidepressants also prevents anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorders (Evans et al., 2017). Antidepressants not only elevate the mood of the patient but also increase the transmission of neurochemical by blocking neurotransmitters at the synapse. As a result the metabolism, as well as destruction and enhancement of activities of the receptors, get enhanced (Herraiz&Guillén, 2018).

The chief catagories of antidepressants are Selective Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g. citalopram, fluoxetine), Tricyclic (e.g. imipramine, amitriptyline), Noradrenaline Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g. venlafaxine), Atypical antidepressants ( eg. Mirtazapine, nefazodone) and Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (e.g. phenelzine, moclobemide) (Capriotti, 2006). It is the responsibility of the clinician to decide the type of anti depressant that will be appropriate for the patient. This determination is done by the clinician after assessing the symptoms, family history, medical history, current medications and current medical conditions of the patients. For an instant, for a patient suffering from insomnia, medication of morsedating type needs to be provided. Whereas, for a patient who is anorexic, drugs that have the ability to stimulate appetite needs to be prescribed (Capriotti, 2006).

Antidepressants and their Side Effects

Antidepressants have several side effects that can impose a negative impact on the quality of life of the patients (Willard, 2016). Some of the major side effects of antidepressants include vomiting, gastrointestinal disturbances, constipation, nausea, insomnia or hypersonic, anticholinergic changes, meditation, headache, muscle twitching and hallucinations. In some cases, the impact of hallucination become so severe that individual tends to perform several self-harming activities and suicidal attempts. The impact is found to more in a young individual that elderly people (Wijlaars, 2016). According to Hudson et al. (2015), the beneficial impact of the antidepressants can be counterattacked by the side effect of the medication. This, in turn, deduces the well being of the patient. The negative impact of the antidepressants also results in decreased libido, sexual dysfunction as well as premature ejaculation. Healthcare service users frequently found to be complaining about the worse quality of life due to sexual dissatisfaction. As a result of this, they also suffer from low self-esteem, mood swing and bitter relationship with their sexual partners (Francois et al., 2017).

Nursing can be considered as the only way to gain success in antidepressant medication therapy. Nurses use a good range of medication in order to manage ADM adherence(Heise& van Servellen, 2014). The physiological healthcare providers play a crucial role in administrating psychotropic medication. The service provider needs to have a sound knowledge o antidepressant medication and pharmacology (Evans et al., 2017). In order to provide the patients with satisfactory results, nurses need to have an in-depth understanding of medication, indication, mode of action an chances of interaction with other drugs and the impact of it on an individual. It is necessary for the nurses to have knowledge about antidepressant medication target as well as possible side effects of those antidepressants (Evans et al., 2017).

Considering the fact that patients remain most vulnerable in the initial stage, nurses must encourage patients to take the prescribed medication. Nurses should ensure that the patient is not discontinuing the antidepressants prescribed to him before he reaches therapeutic level (Capriotti, 2006). Along with that, family members and friends of the patients need to be interviewed in order to have a better understanding of the symptoms of the patient. They should be provided information about the medication of the patient so that they can understand how the medicine will work on their loved one(Capriotti, 2006). The patients should be informed about the potential improvement they will evidence if they intake the education daily. This will encourage them to continue the medication and obtain a result within the stipulated time (Heise& van Servellen, 2014). The patients should also be informed about the effect of food as well as other medication in case they are consuming MAOIs (Evans et al., 2017). They should also be warned about the effect of consumption of alcohol. In order to make them aware of the side effects of antidepressants, patients should be provided education about how to handle the side effects of antidepressants (Evans et al., 2017). Moreover, they should be taught how to manage the side effects. For instance, in order to prevent nausea, the patient should intake medication after consuming meal (Hudson et al., 2015). Considering the fact that patients are at high risk of performing suicidal attempts, nurses must observe the patients closely for the first few months of the treatment so that they can detect any negative thoughts or attempts beforehand (Capriotti, 2006).

Role of Nurses in Antidepressant Medication Therapy

From the above discussion, it can be concluded that MMD impose a highly negative impact on the quality of life of the individual. The disorder can be diagnosed with the help of DSM-5. MDD impose negative impact not only on the individual but also on their families. It is managed with the help of several medication and antidepressants. An antidepressant is a controversial treatment as it may result in cognitive impairment. Nurses who are assigned to taking care of individuals suffering from BDD have a large part to play when it comes to prevention of negative effects of antidepressants. Finally, it can be said that it is crucial for nurses to practice the principles of recovery so that they can provide the best care possible.

References

Ahlström, B. H., Skärsäter, I., & Danielson, E. (2009). Living with major depression:experiences from families’ perspectives. Scandinavian Journal Of Caring Sciences, 23(2), 309-316. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6712.2008.00624.x

Capriotti, T. (2006). Update on depression and antidepressant medications. Medsurg Nursing: Official Journal Of The Academy Of Medical-Surgical Nurses, 15(4), 241.

Citrome, L. (2018). Improving Diagnosis and Treatment Strategies for Major Depressive Disorder. Journal Of Managed Care Medicine, 21(1), 24-28.

Evans, K., Nizette, D., O’Brien, A. (2017). Psychiatric and mental health nursing. Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier Australia.

Francois, D., Levin, A. M., Kutscher, E. J., &Asemota, B. (2017). Antidepressant-induced sexual side effects: Incidence, assessment, clinical implications, and management. Psychiatric Annals, 47(3), 154-160. doi:10.3928/00485713-20170201-01

Heise, B. A., & van Servellen, G. (2014). The nurse’s role in primary care antidepressant medication adherence. Journal Of Psychosocial Nursing And Mental Health Services, 52(4), 48-57. doi:10.3928/02793695-20131126-08

Herraiz, T., &Guillén, H. (2018). Monoamine Oxidase-A Inhibition and Associated Antioxidant Activity in Plant Extracts with Potential Antidepressant Actions. Biomed Research International, 1-10. doi:10.1155/2018/4810394

Hudson, T. J., Fortney, J. C., Pyne, J. M., Lu, L., & Mittal, D. (2015). Reduction of patient-reported antidepressant side effects, by type of collaborative care. Psychiatric Services, 66(3), 272-278. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.201300570

Ng, C. M., How, C. H., & Ng, Y. P. (2016). Major depression in primary care: making the diagnosis. Singapore Medical Journal, 57(11), 591-597. doi:10.11622/smedj.2016174

Rahe, C., Khil, L., Wellmann, J., Baune, B. T., Arolt, V., & Berger, K. (2016). Impact of major depressive disorder, distinct subtypes, and symptom severity on lifestyle in the BiDirect Study. Psychiatry Research, 245164-171. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2016.08.035

Rahim, T., & Rashid, R. (2017). Comparison of depression symptoms between primary depression and secondary-to-schizophrenia depression. International Journal Of Psychiatry In Clinical Practice, 21(4), 314-317. doi:10.1080/13651501.2017.1324036

Sato, S., &Yeh, T. L. (2013). Challenges in treating patients with major depressive disorder: the impact of biological and social factors. CNS Drugs, 27 Suppl 1S5-S10. doi:10.1007/s40263-012-0028-8

Stubbs, B., Vancampfort, D., Veronese, N., Kahl, K. G., Mitchell, A. J., Lin, P., & … Koyanagi, A. (2017). Depression and physical health multimorbidity: primary data and country-wide meta-analysis of population data from 190 593 people across 43 low- and middle-income countries. Psychological Medicine, 47(12), 2107-2117. doi:10.1017/S0033291717000551

Sudarat, P., Sopin, S., Yajai, S., Williams, R. A., &Pisamai, O. (2014). A Causal Model of Psychological Distress of Thai Family Caregivers of People with Major Depressive Disorder. Pacific Rim International Journal Of Nursing Research, 18(3), 173-186.

Wijlaars, L. (2012). Side-effects in antidepressants: The drug or the disease?. Significance, 9(5), 10-13. doi:10.1111/j.1740-9713.2012.00600.x

Steiner, A. J., Wright, S. M., Kuhn, T., &IsHak, W. W. (2017). Comorbid social phobia and major depressive disorder: The influence of remission from depression on quality of life and functioning. Applied Research In Quality Of Life, 12(3), 719-736. doi:10.1007/s11482-016-9485-4