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NUR 3460 - Mental Health Care Assignment | Mental Disorders

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Madonna University

   

Holistic Mental Health Nursing Care (NUR 3460)

   

Added on  2020-02-24

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NUR 3460 - Mental Health Care Assignment | Mental Disorders Assignment, Mental Disorders are common in older adults and include depression, anxiety disorders, dementia, delirium, schizophrenia, and in extreme cases suicide. However, the majority of the mental disorder mentioned above do not necessarily occur as a result of aging. Research suggests that 18 to 37 percent of older adults suffer from depression during the later part of their life. Older people tend to give priority to their physical complications and refuse to acknowledge that they actually feel extremely depressed or sad. They feel that there is a stigma associated with the discussion of mental health conditions.

NUR 3460 - Mental Health Care Assignment | Mental Disorders

   

Madonna University

   

Holistic Mental Health Nursing Care (NUR 3460)

   Added on 2020-02-24

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0Running head: MENTAL HEALTH CAREMental Health Care in Elderly PatientName of the StudentName of UniversityAuthor’s Note
NUR 3460 - Mental Health Care Assignment | Mental Disorders_1
1MENTAL HEALTH CAREThere are number of mental disorders which are common in older adults and this includedepression, anxiety disorders, dementia, delirium, schizophrenia and in extreme cases suicide(Cole & Dendukuri 2013). However, the majority of the mental disorder mentioned above do notnecessarily occurs as a result of aging. Research suggests that 18 to 37 percent of the older adultssuffer from depression during the later part of their life (Inouye et al. 2014). The older peopletend to give priority on their physical complications and refuse to acknowledge that they actuallyfeel extremely depressed or sad. They feel that there is a stigma associated with the discussion ofmental health conditions (Bridle et al. 2012). However, the consequences of mental disorders aredetrimental including functional disability, hamper in the quality of life and disturb rehabilitation(Taylor 2014). Mental disorder if not treatment on time may lead to the generation of somecomplex somatic disease and hence the old patients are in a great need to both psychologicalassistance, wellbeing there and supportive care (Barry & Edgman-Levitan 2012).The pathophysiology of the mental disorder is complex. The principal pathologicalimpression of the development of the mental illness is the formation of the extracellular amyloidplaques along with intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. This congestion in the brain cells isfurther accompanied with synaptic degeneration, aneuploidy and hippocampal loss of neurons.These plaques and tangles lead to the generation of several symptoms of mental illness. Themajor symptoms of the mental disorders include loss of memory, difficulties in thinking orconcentrating, lack of problem-solving skills and difficulty in communicating or languageproblem (Deacon 2013). Out of the several mental illnesses, dementia is mostly common inelderly people. The major symptoms get reflected affected late 50s and the severity increaseswith the age. A person with dementia may also experience sudden mood swings, throws tantrumsand unrelated behaviour. Mental illness of the older adults, if not treated on an urgent basis may
NUR 3460 - Mental Health Care Assignment | Mental Disorders_2
2MENTAL HEALTH CAREtake a severe shape. However, the burden of mental illness is borne not only by patient, but alsoby their carers, both in terms of informal and professional. The pathophysiology of the mentalillness shows that the mental illness causes depression so in order to provide effective care to theolder adult patients with mental illness, I will prefer anti-depressant like selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs is has comparatively low side-effects and hence more suitablefor the treatment of older patients as they are more vulnerable to adverse effects (Pehrson et al.2013). Proper yet effective treatment of depression causes improvement in the quality of lifeboth the patients and care-givers and also reduces the chances of committing suicides (Pehrson etal. 2013).The mental disorders are either the outcome of the some somatic disease or may eventuallylead to the development of the same. Few of the most common somatic disease that areassociated with mental illness among the older adults are Cardiac problems (commonly coronaryheart disease), Diabetes mellitus, Parkinson, Alzheimer, Cancer, Primary chronic polyarthritis(Kessler et al. 2012).So my understanding of the related pathophysiology of the mental health disease says that thepatient centred of mental illness should not only be directed towards the metal complications. Iwill incorporate timely check up and analysis of the symptoms of the associated somatic diseasesin the assessment practice. One of the leading causes of mental illness (mostly depression) among the older adults is lack ofsocial life and support from the family. So the myself, as a nurse or a care giver will practiceextensive communication strategy in order to provide them social support and fight back againstthe loneliness. Research suggests adequate social and emotional support is associated with a
NUR 3460 - Mental Health Care Assignment | Mental Disorders_3

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