Mental Health Nursing Report: Patient Care and Recovery Models

This report addresses mental health nursing, focusing on patient care strategies for individuals experiencing depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. The assignment presents two strategies for building rapport with a patient named Richard, who is in acute depression due to relationship problems, emphasizing the importance of listening and organizing extra-curricular activities. It then applies the recovery model principles, particularly social connectedness and support, to aid in the recovery of a patient named Tom, who has a history of childhood abuse and substance use. The report also differentiates between self-harm and suicide, highlighting their varying intensities and motivations, and outlines interventions to prevent suicide in the case of a patient named Clista. The interventions include providing psychological therapies, counseling, social support, and exposure to inspirational content. The report references peer-reviewed sources to support the analysis and recommendations.

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MENTAL HEALTH NURSING

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Question.1
Two strategies to build rapport with the Richard
A. Listening to Richard’s dilemma
Richard is in acute depression due to the relationship problems. It is essential to give an ear
to his sufferings rather than simply putting Richard on medicinal support. As medicines could
help Richard to some extent but could not cure his mental problems completely. As a nurse it
would be great strategy to sit with him for at least an hour daily and to listen to his problems
because a simple act of lending an empathetic ear to the patient would make him feel that there is
someone in the world with whom he could share his problems thus lessening the effects of his
depression.
B. Organizing the session for extra- curricular activities
A session for the depressed patient like Richard could be organized where various extra-
curricular activities could be scheduled that include gardening, watching interactive videos,
laughing therapy, and light exercises (Larsen, 2016). The session would be helpful in positively
shifting the mindset of an individual towards the negativity they are experiencing inside. It
would make them peaceful and happy. The session will provide them with positivity or courage
to fight the negativity from within.
Question 2
A. Application of recovery model principle for tom’s recovery
One of the most important principles of recovery model is social connectedness
and support. The principle is helpful in mental and physical recovery of a patient as it
provides them a ray of hope (Koval, 2016). In the childhood, tom had an abusive father
who was a heavy drinker. He was quite lonely in his life not even his mother and brother
supported him. He took to heavy drinking for relaxing himself from the mental trauma.
The medicines would be helpful in lessening the effects of symptoms but will not result
in the complete recovery of the patient. It is important to apply the principle of social
connectedness and support by engaging him in social activities organized by the
hospitals. The psychological therapies like group and self-talk therapies could be applied

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in making him more responsive to the outside world (Isobel & Edwards, 2017). Various
extracurricular activities could be organized such as group laughing exercises, coloring
and sketching session, and interactive video session. Patients like tom could be
encouraged to participate in sports events such as basketball, volleyball, and badminton.
The participation of the mentally weakened patients to these events results in positivity,
improved self-esteem, and better relations with people around. The application of the
principal of social connectedness and support will result in increased recovery rate of the
patient.
Question 3
A. Difference between self harm and suicide
Self-harm is less in terms of intensity as compared to suicide (Koval, 2016). In
self- harm, an individual tries to harm himself physically through an object to attract the
attention of the subject. For example, Clista had tried harming herself on the chest, upper
thighs, and forearms. Suicide is high in terms of intensity as it involves taking extreme
step that is killing oneself (Zalsman, 2016). For example, Clista tried taking her life by
attempting to jump from the bridge. Self-harm is the initial act that, if practiced for long
time could lead to suicidal behavior. While self-harm is done with, the intention to deal
with the stressors or to reduce the mental pain but suicide occurs from the place of
despair and hopelessness. Self –harm generates the feeling of peace once done while
suicide is the step taken to completely remove the pain from life (Walrath, 2015).
B. Intervention to prevent suicide
In the case of calista who is suffering from the severe depression due to
relationship problems, the complete recovery of her condition can only happen by
providing her a therapeutic care with the incorporation of the principles of recovery
model (Asarnow, 2017). The interventions that can be used are providing her the
psychological therapies and a good counseling to alleviate her mental condition. (Cleary,
2017) At hospital, she can be provided with the best social support of nurses who can
exchange smiles and talk to her about her problems. She can be made to watch various
inspirational and motivational videos or documentaries of the great modern personalities

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who had attempted suicide in past but the destiny made them successful person in the
world (Foster, 2019). Such videos and therapies will have positive impact on her mental
psyche thus alleviating her mental pain and preventing her to attempt suicide.

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References
Asarnow, J. R. (2017). Cognitive-behavioral family treatment for suicide attempt prevention: a
randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent
Psychiatry , 506-514.
Cleary, M. (2017). Recovery-oriented care and leadership in mental health nursing. Issues in
mental health nursing , 458-460.
Foster, K. W. (2019). Undergraduate nursing students’ stigma and recovery attitudes during
mental health clinical placement: A pre/post‐test survey stud. International journal of
mental health nursing. , 55-65.
Isobel, S., & Edwards, C. (2017). Using trauma informed care as a nursing model of care in an
acute inpatient mental health unit: A practice development process. International journal
of mental health nursing, , 88-94.
Koval, R. D. (2016). Implementation of recovery programming on an inpatient acute psychiatric
unit and its impact on readmission. Journal of addictions nursing , 101-108.
Larsen, M. E. (2016). A systematic assessment of smartphone tools for suicide prevention. PloS
one , e0152285.
Walrath, C. G. (2015). Impact of the Garrett Lee Smith youth suicide prevention program on
suicide mortality. American journal of public health , 986-993.
Zalsman, G. H. (2016). Suicide prevention strategies revisited: 10-year systematic review. The
Lancet Psychiatry, , 646-659.