A Study on Culturally Safe Nursing Interventions for Major Depression

This report examines mental illness, focusing on major depressive disorder (MDD) and its impact on patients' behavior and feelings. It discusses culturally safe nursing interventions for MDD, including medication (antidepressants like SSRIs, SNRIs, atypical, and tricyclic antidepressants) and psychotherapy (culturally responsive CBT, humanistic, integrative, and psychoanalysis/psychodynamic therapies). The report emphasizes the importance of cultural sensitivity, especially when treating patients from diverse backgrounds like the Australian Aboriginal community. It also covers psycho-education strategies, such as involving family and friends, community involvement, and individual education, highlighting the need for practitioners to be professional and respectful of cultural differences. The document concludes by stressing the significance of these interventions in addressing mental health issues effectively. Desklib offers a platform for students to access this and many other solved assignments.

Project 2

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Culturally safe nursing intervention for a consumer with major depression:..............................3
Psycho education strategy adopted by practitioner with working with depressive illness:.........6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Mental illness is serious issue that highlight instability in brain where patient often feel
less active and less interested in daily activities, depression and anxiety is one of the common
depressive illness that impact patient and their mental process. Mental illness is common but
major issue where patient loss sense of happiness and lead to suicidal thoughts, there are certain
disorder that occur due to mental illness like major depressive disorder (Horwitz, 2020). This is
one of the most common type of depression that allow patient to loss interest and pleasure even
in most interesting things. This study is based on aboriginal culture of Australia where mental
illness is major issue. This report will discuss culturally safe nursing intervention for consumer
with major depressive disorder. At last this report will discuss evidence-based practice for
psycho education strategy which allow practitioner to work with person that have depressive
illness.
MAIN BODY
Culturally safe nursing intervention for a consumer with major depression:
Major depressive disorder is mental disorder in which patient often feel low pleasure and
lack of interest in everyday activity, this type of depression are usually dangerous where patient
even get suicidal thoughts. This depression is characterized by mood, patient not only feel low,
but they loss interest in every joyful activity, symptoms of major depressive disorder can be seen
in disturbed sleep, feeling guilt even if done nothing wrong, wrong and negative thoughts
(Rosenbaum and et.al., 2016). Nursing highlight who to provide intervention with case avoiding
any kind of cultural discrimination, in treatment of MDD, practitioner often show respect and ask
for informed consent. There are certain culturally safe intervention for client with MDD, these
are:
Medication (Antidepressant): Major depressive disorder is serious issue that impact behaviour
and mood of patient, medication is one of the most effective nursing intervention where
practitioner often provide certain types of antidepressant for treatment of patient, these are:
 Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): This is one of the most effective
treatment for patient with depression, patient often feel low and less active in certain
activities that effect their mood. SSRI that help in increasing level of serotonin in the
brain, serotonin is chemical that carry signal with nerve cell. In medical language, this
often called chemical messenger. While performing SSRI to patient, practitioner have to

get informed consent to ensure they respect patient's culture and diversity. Antidepressant
and drugs are safe and used in the treatment of major depressive disorder.
 Serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs): This treatment contain certain
safe drug to reduce level of depression and anxiety in the brain, this is one of the most
effective way to cure MDD and allow patient to gain relaxation. This antidepressant
contains duloxetine that block reabsorption, this is used in chronic pain treatment as well.
 Atypical antidepressant: This antidepressant fall as other antidepressant for treatment
for depressive disorder, this is only used when patient is experiencing mental disorder.
Unlike other antidepressant, this work to balance chemical condition in brain and focus
on stability between different chemical (Lambert, 2017). Atypical treatment is not
considered as other antidepressant because this work completely different and affects
brain in different manner.
 Tricyclic antidepressant: This is one of the most effective antidepressant used in curing
depression, this is antidepressant work throughout the body which means not only brain
but this will reach every other part of body allow patient to reduce level of depression.
Tricyclic antidepressant can be used in treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder and
other mental disorder including major depressive disorder.
 Other medication: other medication means practitioner often used two or more
antidepressant to treat an patient, it is very clear that patient will be treated with the help
of antidepressant that is combined by practitioner (Wampold, 2019). Here patient will
feel relaxed and reduce level of depression and anxiety from the brain, this is effective
intervention in the treatment process where practitioner carefully combine different
antidepressant to craft one effective antidepressant.
Psychotherapy: psychotherapy is well-known as counselling, this is one of the most effective
way to treat patient with depressive illness, it is very clear that with the help of understanding
client and their perspective, practitioner often provide treatment (Holmes, Lindley and
Hinshelwood, 2018). This nursing intervention allow practitioner to talk about client and its
condition and discuss issue related to mental illness, practitioner focus on cognitive therapy that
allow them to treat patient by understanding their mental condition.
Practitioner need to be professional while addressing patient with culturally diverse
background, for example if patient belong to aboriginal culture then practitioner need to take

certain precaution while providing them psychotherapy, there are certain psychotherapy that
allow practitioner to respect and treat patient with cultural diversity, treatment of mental illness
is possible with, these are:
Culturally Responsive Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): This is one of the most
effective nursing intervention that allow practitioner to treat patent with depressive illness with
respect of diversity. This practice help practitioner to understand cognitive behaviour of patient
and identify key issue they are facing, for example in the treatment of patient belonging to
aboriginal culture, practitioner often have to use culturally responsive CBT that allow them to
respect and support patient.
Humanistic psychotherapy: This therapy is used in the treatment of MDD, depression is one of
the major issue in culturally diverse community where lack of education can be seen, for
example aboriginal culture community of Australia lack behind in getting education for
treatment of depression (Vigo, Thornicroft and Atun, 2016). Practitioner need to use humanistic
psychotherapy that allow that push patient to make rational choice, this type of treatment is quite
critical because pushing patient to make rational choice can impact their cultural belief. Although
this treatment is commonly used because this allows patient to explore different level of critical
thinking that help them to cure depression.
Integrative or holistic psychotherapy: This is another effective method for treatment of
depressive illness, here practitioner try to use their own method to solve the problem, it is very
clear that patient have their own needs and want that keep them different, using behavioural,
cognitive or humanistic approach become ineffective. Practitioner try to indulge themselves in
the practice and treat according to their experience, for example patient with aboriginal cultural
may have different need that need to be fulfilled. Practitioner understands these needs and
provide therapy accordingly. There is high risk of hurting patient with cultural diversity,
practitioner often avoid this intervention in treating mental illness.
Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapies: This is effective intervention that allow
practitioner to change behaviour, feeling and thoughts of patient that create problem. It is very
clear that client carry problematic behaviour and thought because of mental illness, this push
them to commit suicide and harm themselves. Under this therapy, practitioner work closing with
patient and learn about their behaviour by exploring through interaction. In this intervention,
practitioner try to connect themselves with patient and explore their dynamic behaviour.

Psycho education strategy adopted by practitioner with working with depressive illness:
Psycho education is one of the most effective practice while treating patient with
depressive illness, this evidence-based practice allow practitioner to focus on both, clinical trails
and community setting. This type of pattern allow practitioner to consider flexibility while
working with patient with mental illness, when practitioner try to approach their client and
perform treatment then psycho education allow them to professionally delivered treatment to
patient with mental illness. While working with patient carry depressive illness, practitioner have
to adopt certain strategies, these are:
Involving friends and family: involving friends and family is one of the best way to perform
psycho education and educated patient with depressive illness, this strategy allow practitioner to
involve friends and family of patient in treatment process where they provide support to patient
for example; treating patient with aboriginal culture then practitioner often have to involve
friends, family and community that allow patient to gain education about their depression
(Shonin and Van Gordon, 2016). It is very clear that patient is emotionally connected with
friends and family, they seek support from these groups because trust is an element. Practitioner
involve friends and family because if patient is not ready to provide condition or pain they are
carry then intervention can not provide.
Community involvement: community involvement play vital role when it comes to treating
patient with depression and mental disorder, it is very clear that patent belongs to community
share their belief and thoughts. Practitioner involves community because they are best source to
provide education for depressive illness but whole community need education then practitioner
develop strategies accordingly. In the case of patient suffering from depression belong to
aboriginal culture then may be whole community need education regarding depression.
Individual psycho education: individual psycho education is one of the effective method of
educating patient with mental disorder or any kind of depression, in this strategy practitioner
often try to educate patient individual avoiding involvement of friends, family and community.
Practitioner have to be professional and connect themselves with patient that allow them to
explore different needs and thoughts of patient (Dixon, Holoshitz and Nossel, 2016). Individual
treatment is best because practitioner try to involve themselves in the process which means they
will carefully examine and understand cause of depression. In culturally diversity, practitioner
may find challenging while providing psycho education for example: patient in aboriginal culture

may have different needs that can not be fulfilled by practitioner, here they need to respect
culture and provide them treatment professionally.
CONCLUSION
This report has discussed mental illness and its impact on patient's behaviour and feeling.
Mental disorder may include major depressive disorder that impact feeling and thoughts of
patient, this simply means patient will loss interest in everything. Later this report has discussed
intervention for major depressive disorder and highlighted two type of intervention including
medication and psychotherapy. Medication treatment focus on drugs and use of drugs to reduce
level of depression in the patient, this report highlighted certain treatment and description that
work best as treatment of depression. Later this report has discussed psychotherapy which
include behavioural therapy, cognitive therapy, humanistic therapy, psychoanalysis therapy and
integrative therapy. At last this report has discussed psycho education strategies that is adopted
by practitioner while working with patient with depression or mental disorder.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Dixon, L.B., Holoshitz, Y. and Nossel, I., 2016. Treatment engagement of individuals
experiencing mental illness: review and update. World Psychiatry, 15(1), pp.13-20.
Holmes, J., Lindley, R. and Hinshelwood, R.D., 2018. The values of psychotherapy. Routledge.
Horwitz, A.V., 2020. Creating mental illness. University of Chicago Press.
Lambert, M.J., 2017. Maximizing psychotherapy outcome beyond evidence-based
medicine. Psychotherapy and psychosomatics, 86(2), pp.80-89.
Rosenbaum and et.al., 2016. Implementing evidence-based physical activity interventions for
people with mental illness: an Australian perspective. Australasian Psychiatry, 24(1),
pp.49-54.
Shonin, E. and Van Gordon, W., 2016. The mechanisms of mindfulness in the treatment of
mental illness and addiction. International journal of mental health and addiction, 14(5),
pp.844-849.
Vigo, D., Thornicroft, G. and Atun, R., 2016. Estimating the true global burden of mental
illness. The Lancet Psychiatry, 3(2), pp.171-178.
Wampold, B.E., 2019. The basics of psychotherapy: An introduction to theory and practice.
American Psychological Association.
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