Mental Health Flashcards
Symptoms of depression: emotions
Sadness Anxiety Guilty Anger Mood swings Feelings of helplessness or hopelessness Irritability
Symptoms of depression: thoughts
Frequent self-criticism Impaired memory & concentration Indecisiveness Confusion Thoughts of death and suicide
Symptoms of depression: behavior
Crying Withdrawal from others Neglect responsibilities Changes in personal appearance Moving more slowly Being agitated or unable to settle
Symptoms of depression: physical
Chronic fatigue Lack of energy Sleeping too much or too little Weight gain or loss Loss of motivation Substance abuse Unexplained aches and pains
Psychosis
Loss of reality
Poor judgement
Range from severe mania and hypomania to severe melancholy and mild melancholy with euthymia being normal
8 Major Depressive Disorders (not attribute to recent losses and stressors)
SIGECAPS
Sleep disorders (increased, decreased, not restful)
Interest deficit (anhedonia)
Guilt (worthlessness, hopelessness, regret)
Energy Deficit (restless, anxiety)
Concentration deficit (difficulty learning, remembering)
Appetite disorder (increased or decreased)
Psychomotor (change to either slowed or agitation)
Suicidality (ideation-passive or active)
Other depressive disorders
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (<18 years old)
Persistent depressive disorder (2 years old and older)
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
Post-partum depressive disorder
Depressive disorder associated with another medical condition
Diathesis-stress model
Predisposed then triggered by life stressors and negative events (financial, social, employment, relationships….hopelessness)
Genetic
Tends to run in the family
Inflammatory process
Reduced blood flow and abnormal metabolism in the prefrontal aspect of the cerebral cortex; decrease in neuro-protective metabolites and neuroblasts; increase in neurodestructive metabolites reduces connections to prefrontal regions and increased in striatum, basal ganglia.
Neurotransmitter changes
Basal ganglia connections with the cortex through separate, parallel pathway loops controlling motor (movement), associative (cognitive), and limbic (emotional) => reward, beh, learning, mood.
Dysfunction in any of these circuits can give rise to movement disorders, behavioral, cognitive abnormalities, and mood changes
Assess affect
Blunted, flat, agitation, elation, congruent, or incongruent, etc.
Assess thought process
Slowed, ruminating, tangential, racy, etc.
Assess mood
Sad, euphoric, etc.
Assess feelings
Hopelessness, despair, frustrated, etc.
Assess physical behavior
Withdrawn, restless, etc.
Assess communication
Mute, guarded, poverty of speech, pressured speech, etc.
Assess religious beliefs and spirituality
Punishment, just, comfort, etc.
Assess judgement
Impulsivity, realistic, distorted, etc.
Assess perceptions
Reality based, suspicious, delusional, psychosis, etc.
Components of the nursing process
Prior functional level and patterns (how stressors are dealt with, etc.)
Suicidal ideation (last, present, prior attempts? When? How?)
Recent changes (e.g., financial, losses, etc.)
Medications (e.g., what? When started?)
Age & relationship considerations (G&D, risky ages?)
Cultural considerations- protective (African Americans, Asians, RC)
Self assessment (Transference & countertransference)
Boundaries (individuality vs feeling what others feel)
Goal of treatment
Complete remission of depression with full functional recovery and the development of resilience.
Step 0
Taper and cease any agents that can potentially lower mood
Institute sleep hygiene
Implement appropriate lifestyle changes (e.g., smoking cessation, adopt regular exercise and achieve a healthy diet)
Address substance misuse if relevant
Step 1: generic psychosocial interventions
Psycho education (family, friends, caregivers)
Low intensity interventions (e.g., internet based education)
Formal support groups, community groups
Employment, housing
Step 1: psychological therapy (formulation-based intervention)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Interpersonal therapy
Acceptance and commitment therapy
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
Step 1: pharmacotherapy (formulation-based intervention)
First line: SSRIs, SNRIs, NaSSAs, NDRIs, NARIs; melatonin agonist, serotonin modulator
Second line: Tricyclics antidepressants, MAOIs
Step 2
Combine pharmacotherapy and psychological therapy
Increase dose of antidepressant medication
Augment antidepressant medication with lithium and/or antipsychotic medication
Combine antidepressants
rTMS (if available)
Step 3
ECT
What best describes the DSM-5?
It is a medical psychiatric assessment system
What is true regarding cultures and mental health disorders?
Culture may cause variations in symptoms for each clinical disorder
Correct ways to document and report on a patient
The PT in room 19 who is experiencing mania
Incorrect ways to document and report on a patient
The PT in room 19 who is manic
The manic PT in room 19
The maniac in room 19
What should the nurse do to make sure the counter-transference doesn’t interfere with the focus of the relationship?
Recognize their own feelings evoked due to PT behaviors
Erikson’s theory helps guide nurses in the care of PTs by identifying the
Expected tasks and milestones based on age
Which neurotransmitter is most notable for producing a “calming” effect?
GABA
Which of these are part of the therapeutic “mileau” in an inpatient psychiatric unit?
The unit’s environment
Scheduled group sessions and activities
The daily routine and policies
A nurse manager overhears a comment that necessitates immediate intervention to protect the dignity of the PT. This includes statements such as:
My PT is the schizophrenic
My PT is the schizo one
Maslow’s theory provides nurses with
A foundation for holistic assessment
Behavioral therapies are based on the premise that
Behavior is learned and can be changed
What is true about the evolution of mental illness?
Mental illness changes with culture, time in history, political systems, and groups defining it.
What is part of the care that a MH nurse provides?
Writing a plan of care for a diagnosis of ineffective coping
Helping a family express their feelings to one another
What is true of nurses who specialize in psychiatric-mental health nursing?
They use specialized skills to care for PTs
This region of the brain is most responsible for decision-making, concentration, and the attention required to complete complex tasks
The frontal lobe
Freud’s theory of personality development focuses on anxiety produced through ongoing conflicts between
The id, ego, and superego
The “therapeutic use of self” refers to what?
The nurse’s role
A cognitive behavioral therapist would help a PT shift from statements like “I made a horrible mistake cuz I’m so stupid” to
“I’m human and made a bad decision”