Case Study: Depression Among Nurses in Palliative Care and HHSM

This essay delves into the critical issue of depression among nurses working in palliative care, analyzing its profound impact on Health and Human Services Management (HHSM). The essay begins by establishing the relationship between depression, a significant mental health concern, and the demands of HHSM, particularly in the stressful environment of palliative care. It then identifies various factors contributing to depression, such as work environment, overload, conflicts, and lifestyle choices, and explores the need for investigation and resource allocation to manage the issue effectively. The essay proposes debriefing and cognitive behavior therapy as intervention strategies, while advocating for the Psychodynamic theory and Cognitive Theory and Recovery model as suitable management frameworks, while the Behaviorism theory is opposed. Furthermore, it discusses how different theoretical lenses can offer varied perspectives, guiding the development of strategies to support nurses and improve the overall healthcare system. In conclusion, the essay underscores the significance of addressing depression among healthcare professionals to enhance their performance, job satisfaction, and the quality of care, advocating for a multi-faceted approach to mitigate the adverse effects of depression in this challenging field.

Running head: ISSUES IN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MANAGEMENT
Issues in Health and Human Services management
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ISSUES IN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MANAGEMENT
Introduction
Health and Human Services Management (HHSM) is a line of discipline that is
involved in the development of skills among healthcare professionals that can allow them to
function in a managerial position within healthcare services and healthcare industries,
combining knowledge from human services sector with business skills which can provide the
students the necessary knowledge to manage the health can wellbeing of people and function
as a healthcare manager and leader (Picone & Pehm, 2015). Mental health is an important
consideration for healthcare professionals since healthcare industries can often operate under
a stressful environment both mentally and physically for the providers and healthcare
professionals and can significantly influence the ability of the professionals to provide care in
a safe and efficient manner (Yang et al., 2015; Burton et al., 2017). Thus it is vital to analyze
the impact of mental health issues among healthcare professionals.
The aim of this essay is to analyze a case study of depression among nurses working in
palliative care, how it related to HHSM and how its impact can be investigated and mitigated.
Discussion:
-How the mental health issue of depression relates to HHSM
Depression is a mental health disorder in which individuals show signs of prolonged
sadness and bad mood and a general loss of interest in various activities and can hamper the
daily lives of people. Depression can also have various psychological, behavioral and
physical impacts such as change in sleep patterns, loss of appetite, low energy levels,
inability to concentrate, low self esteem and increase in irritability. Risk of depression can be
prevalent among healthcare professionals due to the high stress environment they work in
(Guntuku et al., 2017). This can especially be the case in palliative care where the
professionals have to provide care and support to terminal patients and their families. The

2ISSUES IN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MANAGEMENT
stress and depression can further lead to loss of productivity and performance, reduction in
job satisfaction, increase in attrition rates and poor staff attendance which can thus impact
health and human services management by affecting the ability of managers and leaders to
effectively manage their healthcare teams (Townsend & Morgan, 2017). Thus it can be
assumed that depression can adversely affect HHSM strategies.
-Factors that needs investigation and resources that are needed to manage depression
In order to implement effective HHSM strategies, it is vital that all the factors that can
cause depression among healthcare professionals and that can be used to mitigate its impact
needs to be investigated. The factors can include:
Work Environment: Unhealthy work environment and poor working conditions along with
the presence of patients and their families can increase a sense of stress among healthcare
professionals which can lead to depression.
Work Overload: Too much work can also have adverse impact on emotional wellbeing
leading to anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Family Conflicts: Personal conflicts can lead to mental diversions and also increase stress and
anxiety among the nurses increasing the risks of depression.
Interpersonal Conflicts in workplace: Conflicts with other people (healthcare professionals,
patients and their families) can also cause depression.
Professional Autonomy: A lack of professional autonomy and increased sense of dependency
on other professionals can reduce job satisfaction and increase risks of depression.
Insecurity: Job insecurity can also increase risks of depression due to a sense of uncertainty
over their jobs

3ISSUES IN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MANAGEMENT
Night Shifts: Night shifts can negatively affect the sleeping patterns among people which can
lead to an increased risk of depression.
Burnout Syndrome: Working in emotionally stressful environment such as palliative care can
be emotionally traumatizing for the nurses increasing the risks.
Lifestyle: Several lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking alcohol, diet, sleeping hours and
duration and levels of physical activity can also impact the risks of depression.
(Fuller-Thomson et al., 2016; Jacobson & Newman, 2017)
-Debriefing and Problem solving strategies for depression and its rationale
In order to identify the early signs of depression, an immediate ‘post event’ debriefing
can be used for the healthcare professionals after a significantly traumatic event such as death
of a patient or a clinical accident. This strategy can help to understand how the event have
impacted the person on an emotional level and thus to see if the person is at risk of
developing depressive symptoms (Paterson et al., 2015).
In order to treat depression among healthcare professionals, intervention strategy such
as Cognitive Behavior Therapy can be used for the nurses as it focuses on changing the
perceptions of the person (Piccirillo & Heimberg, 2016).
-Management theories, models and framework for depression that I personally agree to
and its rationale
Depression among nurses working in Palliative Care unit can be treated using the
Psychodynamic theory as well as Cognitive Theory since they deal with the effect of past
experiences on the depressive symptoms and how an individual thinks about it. I believe that
these theories and models can help to gain a better understanding about the cause of

4ISSUES IN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MANAGEMENT
depression, its triggers and how best to overcome it without affecting the performance of the
healthcare professional. Moreover recovery model can also be helpful to focus on the
recovery from depression, thus helping to improve the wellbeing of the nurses (Paterson et
al., 2015).
- Management theories, models and framework for depression that I oppose to and its
rationale
The theory of mental health problem that I do oppose to is the Behaviorism theory
that is mainly developed on laboratory or fixed conditions and considers how behaviors are
affected by conditioning (how one responds to the environment). However the theory fails to
explain how past behavior and experiences can also impact future thinking processes and
behavior. Thus I believe that this theory is not adequate to investigation of depression. Also, I
oppose to the Steven’s System Model of healthcare delivery since it proposes a linear system
of inputs, healthcare services, healthcare systems and output. I believe that mental health is
influenced by many factors apart from healthcare services and systems (such as the
environment, individual experiences and lifestyle) due to which the model is niot effective to
investigate the given case study (Piccirillo & Heimberg, 2016).
- Management theories and models for depression that is relevant to mental health and
the case study
For the given case study, I believe the Cognitive Theory and Recovery model are the
most appropriate one since it allows focus on how the individual experiences can mold the
thinking process of the healthcare professionals which can be the triggers of depression and
how coping skills can be developed among them. Additionally, the recovery model helps to
develop strategies that can help a professional to recover from a traumatic experience and

5ISSUES IN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MANAGEMENT
continue providing care for the patients and support for the families Jacobson & Newman,
2017).
-How viewing the issue through each of these lenses can help to gain perspective and
give direction to address the HHSM issue
By viewing the issue through the various perspectives such as cognitive, behavior,
psychodynamic and humanistic approaches it is possible to understand how mental health
conditions sucyhn as depression can have multiple etiologies and influences and how the
risks of depression can be reduced by addressing the factors that influence the risks of
depression. This knowledge can be used to develop strategies to treat depression among
nurses working in palliative care, helping them to overcome burnout syndrome and
compassion fatigue and thus provide strategic direction for HHSM policies to support better
healthcare system (Fuller-Thomson et al., 2016).
Conclusion
From the above case study it is evident that depression can be a significant problem
among healthcare professionals working in high stress environment, such as working in
palliative care. Depression among healthcare professionals can reduce their performance and
productivity and also reduce job satisfaction. It is vital therefore that all the aspects related to
the cause and influence of depression be analyzed to prevent its impact. Cognitive approach
is vital in this regard as it allows the modification of how the healthcare professionals
perceive an adverse incident. A recovery model is also needed that can help to ensure better
recovery of the individuals from such incidents.

6ISSUES IN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MANAGEMENT
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