Nursing Interventions and Care in Management of Depression and Suicide

Introduction

Depression is a common mental illness characterized by mood disorder, negative thinking, and loss of interest in activities. It decreases a person ability to perform and work. The symptoms of depression are loss of interest in day to day activities, feeling anxiety, suicidal thoughts and negative emotions (Stoyanova, 2014). The case study of Jonathon’s mental illness has been chosen for work. In this case study, Jonathon is suffering from depression and suicidal behaviour after his mother died. Jonathon has not been able to concentrate at his workplace; his relationship with his father is not so good after the loss of his mother, which contributes to long–term depression in him. In the following text, various nursing interventions and care are discussed to deal with depression and suicidal behaviour.  

Approximately one in seven Australians is suffering from depression. Depression is the third highest in Australia, with approximately 13% of people affected. In Australia, depression is the number one cause responsible for non-fatal disability. According to a WHO report, by 2030, depression will be the number one health concern in both developed and developing countries. Around 7.0% of women are more likely to be affected by mood disorder as compared to men, which are approximately 5.0% (Ayyoub, 2015)

Suicide is a death caused by taking owns life. In Australia, the suicidal rate was highest in the last 10 years. It has increased from 2005 to 2015.  It occurs 3 times more in men as compared to women. Approximately 3,000 people have died from suicide in Australia. The age group of 40-44 years old males has a higher suicidal rate while in females age group is 45-49 years old. In the case of females, the suicidal rate is approximately 6.0% per 100,000 people, while in males it is approximately 19.0% per 100,000 people 2015, Victoria, Queensland and South Wales are the most populated cities in Australia, and they have recorded approximately 73% of all suicidal death rates in Australia. The death rate was prominent among 15-24 years of age followed by 25-30 years of age, and it is least among older age groups (Snowdon, 2015)

According to a WHO report, the prevalence of depression is higher among older age adult. The psychological, social and biological factors are responsible for the prevalence of depression among this age group. Many older adults lose their ability to live independently due to physical problems, mental problems or limited mobility, chronic pain, and they require long term care plans (World Health Organization, 2017). Older adults are more likely to experience low socioeconomic status after retirement, bereavement or physical disability, which makes them more likely to suffer from depression. All these factors contribute to the feeling of helplessness, loneliness, isolation and psychological stress, which leads to depression. Elder abuse is another common factor among some older adults that directly affect their mental condition and contribute to depression. Suicide is defined as a mental illness in which a person intentionally takes their own life. Signs and symptoms of suicide can be excessive moodiness and sadness, feeling of helplessness, feeling of isolation, changes in personality or appearance and self or dangerous –harmful behaviour (Kawada, 2017).

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