A blood test for ruling out illnesses
A blood test should be performed by the FNP to rule out the role of illnesses such as Diabetes, Hypothyroidism, Hyperthyroidism, Hypoparathyroidism, and Hyperparathyroidism in generating symptoms associated with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Depressive episodes. The blood-based laboratory test is an objective diagnosis that focuses on medical issues such as anemia as well as vitamin D and calcium levels. Similarly, measuring the quantity of thyroid in the blood can assist determine osmoregulation functions. Hage and Azar emphasize the importance of differential diagnosis (2011) where they point out that the relationship between thyroid disorders and depressive symptoms is one of the best-understood issues in the etiology of psychiatric disorders. Endocrinal anomalies, such as the elevated levels of T4 and rT3, increased concentrations of CSF TRH, positive anti-thyroid antibodies, low T3, and a blunted TSH response to TRH, result in nervous affectations, including the significant effect on mood and emotions.
The criticality of blood tests in diagnosing depression
The criticality of blood tests as a differential diagnosis for establishing the specificity and sensitivity of psychiatric and psychological presentations of depression is also supported by a growing body of evidence where research work has confirmed the existence of nine RNA biomarkers associated with MDD (Redei et al., 2014). Besides diagnosis, the science is also effective in evaluating the efficaciousness of current therapies, as well as recurring episodes. The biological studies offer a promising future in the diagnosis of psychosocial disorders where primary caregivers, such as FNPs, will play an expanded role. Currently, lack of equipment, as well as the limited experience of primary caregivers, have been blamed for the burden of the disorders where inadequacy of the practitioners increases the time between the moment people experience symptoms for the first time and receive treatment (Linde et al., 2015). Like the case of GF, advanced depression is not only hard to manage but also increases susceptibility to adverse effects at both personal and social levels.
References
Hage, M. P., & Azar, S. T. (2011).The link between thyroid function and depression. Journal of thyroid research, 2012.
Linde, K., Sigterman, K., Kriston, L., Rücker, G., Jamil, S., Meissner, K., & Schneider, A. (2015).The effectiveness of psychological treatments for depressive disorders in primary care: systematic review and meta-analysis. The Annals of Family Medicine, 13(1), 56-68.
Redei, E. E., Andrus, B. M., Kwasny, M. J., Seok, J., Cai, X., Ho, J., & Mohr, D. C. (2014). Blood transcriptomic biomarkers in adult primary care patients with major depressive disorder undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy. Translational Psychiatry, 4(9), e442.
