7.1 Introduction
Learning Objectives
- Apply the nursing process to patients with depressive disorders
- Describe nursing assessments related to depressive disorders
- Identify common nursing problems/diagnoses related to depressive disorders
- Establish a safe environment
- Apply evidence-based practice when planning and implementing nursing care
- Describe common treatments for depressive disorders
- Identify appropriate referrals to community resources
- Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions
- Provide education to patients and their family members
Depression is a common illness affecting an estimated 8% of adults in the United States annually.[1]Approximately 280 million people in the world have depression.[2] This chapter will discuss causes and types of depression, treatments for depression, and steps for applying the nursing process when caring for patients with depressive disorders.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2017, August). Depression. https://nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Depression ↵
- Depression by the World Health Organization is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO ↵
