Nursing - Anatomy and Physiology of a Patient

Running head: NURSING
Nursing
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author’s note

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The main purpose of this essay is to explore the anatomy and physiology of a patient who
was given care during recent placement. The essay will explore the meaning of health and well-
being by exploring biological, psychological and sociological perspectives. Key theories that will
be used an argument in the essay includes Erickson’s theory and the health belief model. The
patient who was under care during the clinical placement was Mr. X (pseudonym used to protect
privacy and confidentiality), a 52 year old male who admitted to the hospital with extreme
symptoms of depression. He had history of other medical conditions like hypertension and
hyperlipidemia. He had drinking habits too as he consumed 30 units/week. His BMI was
29kg/m2. The review of his past social history shows he used to work in power plant. He lived in
a 2 storey home with his wife and three children. Though he is at risk of obesity, he does not
enjoy exercise. Based on Mr. X’s family history, it has been found that his family had a history
of cardiovascular disease (CVD). His mother diet at the age of 50 from ischemic heart disease
(IHD)
The current health issue for Mr. X was presence of depressive symptoms. In such
patients, pathological changes in the brain anatomy are seen. The change in the anatomical
structure of the brain is confirmed by MRI. Studies on evaluation of gray and white matter of
brain in patients with depression have revealed changes in the frontal lobe, temporal lobe and
amygdala. Impairment in the structural and functional condition contributes to disease severity
too (Zhang et al. 2018). According to the DSM-V criteria, some of the classic symptoms of
major depressive disorder includes depressed mood, loss of interest in activities, insomnia,
fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, weight changes and suicidal ideation for more than two weeks.
These symptoms are seen due to changes in the concentration of neurotransmitters in the brain.
Deficiency in the monoaminergic neurotransmitter norepinephrine and dopamine also result in

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the above symptoms. Other neurotransmitters involved in the physiology of depression include
serotonin and imbalances in these brain chemicals contribute to depression (Zhang 2019). These
changes might be the cause behind depressive symptom of Mr. X too.
To consider the cause of depression in Mr. X , there is a need to evaluate the cause of
illness from biopsychosocial perspective. The biopsychosocial model of health includes
consideration of biological, social and psychological factors to interpret health and well-being in
an individual (Wade and Halligan 2017). In the context of Mr. X, the biological cause behind his
depression was impact of his physical health history on his condition. For instance, he was a
patient with hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Hyperlipidemia is a condition that is associated
with high level of fats in the blood. The evidence by Chuang et al. (2014) indicates that risk of
depression is high in patients with hyperlipidemia and it also results in other co-morbidities like
hypertension and diabetes. Thus, Mr. X also had hypertension and the burden of both the illness
and its management was the cause behind his depressive symptoms.
In the case of social factors, it can be examined whether the patient has any exposure to
adverse social factors such as lack of social support, experience of traumatic situation, early
separation and social stressors. Stressful social events trigger change in brain functioning
resulting in depression. In case of Mr. X, he had no history of traumatic events and he did not
suffered from social isolation as he lived with his wife and children. However, one social factor
that could be linked to his depression is that his poor socioeconomic status (SES). He is working
in a powerplant and his low income might be one stressor for him. Various studies have shown
relation between SES and depression. Freeman et al. (2016) revealed inequalities in income and
wealth as a crucial determinant of depression. Similarly, indicated that lower is an individual’s

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SES, the poorer is their health outcome and risk of chronic disease. Lower occupational status
and lower income is associated with higher odds of depression.
The psychological factors that might be influencing depression in an individual include
presence of negative thought patterns, poor judgment skills and impaired emotional intelligence.
The innate temperament of any individual might be leading to risk of depression. In the context
of Mr. X, he is found is poor coping skills too. This is said because he has multiple health issues
such as hypertension, hylipidemia, risk of obesity and alcohol use. Despite this, his coping style
has not changed. Instead of engaging in positive coping style such as exercise to improve his
health status, he liked to go to pub and drink alcohol. Thus, his temperament did not changes
despite illness. Research literature argues that positive coping styles such as help seeking and
positive thinking is associated with less depression, whereas negative coping style such as
avoidance is associated with depressive outcomes and poor mental health. The study also
revealed that 22% of patients are binge drinkers, which is a form of avoidance coping styles
(Getnet, Medhin and Alem 2019). Hence, psychological and biological factors together are the
cause behind depression in Mr. X.
Illness is a subjective concept that mainly describes personal experience of a disease.
There are many diseases that lead to ill-health in an individual. This may include infectious
disease such as malaria and influenza and chronic disease such as diabetes and heart disease. In
contrast, cccording to World Health Organization (2020), health is defined as a state of complete
physical, mental and social well-being, whereas well-being is defined as a positive state where
health is framed as a positive aspiration. It may mean achieving positive state in all areas such as
physical, social and mental health. Wellness is defined as the state of being in good health and
free from disease. From individual perspective, illness is seen only when there is a disease.