Impact of Ethnicity
Discussion: The Impact of Ethnicity on Antidepressant Therapy
Case 1: The Man whose Antidepressants Stopped Working
In this case, the client exhibits symptoms of anxiety and depression (Stahl Online, n.d.). However, more information is needed to accurately diagnose this patient. In this case, it will be appropriate for the psychiatric nurse to ask the following questions given the client’s history:
How have your sleep and lifestyle patterns changed in the past 4 weeks? This question will help the psychiatrist nurse to understand the lifestyle patterns of the client and the behavioral trends of the patient that could be impacting the effectiveness of his medications.
How can you describe your depression? Do you experience suicidal thoughts? This question is aimed at understanding if the client is aware of his condition and how the disease is affecting him. It is also important to learn about the areas the client does not comprehend and how this can be improved.
In your own words, how you are managing your depression? Please describe. The client must be aware of the need to manage his depression including adhering to medications. This question provides more insights into the various dynamics that could be impacting the patient’s depression.
Social and Family Screening
I will direct my questions to the client’s wife because she is a key family member. The questions I will ask the client’s wife include – how has the client been dealing with depression? How have you been supporting him? What are the difficulties experienced by the client in managing his condition? Are you aware of his medications and the time he needs to take them? These questions will provide insights about the client’s social support, and what the family thinks about his condition as well as what they are doing to support him. Moreover, the children will also be asked the above questions to provide an overall observation and their own assessment of the client’s condition, including any details that the client may have missed to report.
