Because of its prevalence across all age groups and its extensive nature, the chosen health condition is a mental disorder. It is a disease that interferes with the human brain, notably memory and logic, resulting in an inability to meet life's basic necessities. The disorder affects both the physical and psychological makeup of individuals, making them feel vulnerable to the recommendations and judgments of others. Nurses are more likely to detect mental disorders in their early stages. They detect its presence by assessing thinking and attention abilities. The most visible signs nurses see at an early stage include an extreme feeling of guilt, inability to cope with daily problems, drop in functioning and unusual behaviors coupled with nervousness.
WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) recommends the specific drugs required for treating mental disorder. The best choice of the substance to use depends on the particular situation and how the patient’s body reacts with the medicine. For depressions, physicians often use antidepressants such as Citalopram, Escitalopram oxalate, Fluoxetine, Fluvoxamine or Paroxetine (Molloy et al., 2012). Anti-anxiety medications like the use of anxiolytic and beta-blockers are also recognized for the treatment of mental disorder. Additionally, physicians utilize Mood-stabilizing medications to improve wellness. The various types of mood stabilizers available are carbamazepine, lamotrigine and valproic acid (Molloy et al., 2012). On the other hand, treating bipolar and schizophrenia problems on patients requires the use of Antipsychotic drugs like Aripiprazole, Asenapine, Lurasidone, Olanzapine, Quetiapine or Risperidone (Molloy et al., 2012).
The approach to pharmacological treatment regarding mental disorder is not different from the culture of medication applied to other complications in the society. The actions may involve the doctor’s participation in listening to the concerns of a client, examining the patient, authorizing laboratory tests, diagnosing the illness, prescribing medication and making a follow up on the outcome (Bench & Metcalfe, 2013). However, the side effect of this process on the part of physicians is that they face difficulty in arriving at biologically-relevant pathophysiological mechanisms to alter the client’s cognition, behavior, and emotion. The process also lacks objective measures of psychopathology hence, Molloy et al., 2012 illustrates that “it is controversial to adequately recognize genetic risks, edit the genome systematically and to elaborate both molecular and anatomical landscape of the human brain.”
The treatment process involves enlisting, recruiting and involving the patient in a medication cycle. In the event, the physician discusses with the client about psychological implications and possible risks associated with the drugs. Additionally, he articulates a comprehensive plan which involves the clinical assessment schedule and laboratory tests (Cleary-Holdforth, & Leufer, 2013). The regimen process also requires a proper definition of the period of administering the drug before the physicians prescribe the medicine. Social, psychological and geographical settings of the patient assist in identification of the enough quantity of medicine to impact the identified symptom. During the treatment process, the physician explains the side effects as well as how the patient can overcome them (Eisenberg, 2012). The last phase involves the aspect of monitoring the drug use by acquiring how much of it the patient has used.
However, the treatment process may impact the patient negatively. The high cost of medicine and transport fee might inflict financial problems. Besides, the regime process is a time-consuming technique which may compel the patient to develop negative attitudes towards the attendant (Molloy et al., 2012. Also, the process has a complexity in administration. Complication might arise when the client develops confusions regarding the mode and frequency of consuming the prescribed quantities of antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and Antipsychotic drugs. At times, the medicines react with the body hence developing more health problems and complications. In most cases, antipsychotic drugs result in drowsiness, abnormal weight gain, sexual dysfunction, blurred vision or constipation (Molloy et al., 2012). Consequently, these side effects deter patients from living a healthy life and might cause more disorders.
Improving the outcomes and quality care relies upon the efforts of psychiatric nurses to collaborate with clients to generate a shared decision making focused on empowering patients. He/she should ensure that there is a correct choice of medication and the client consumes the drugs at the speculated time (Cleary-Holdforth, & Leufer, 2013). The nurse needs to discuss the clinical information from the patient with the physicians on a daily basis. This information and choices must also reach the client to enhance their active and meaningful participation as they receive medications. Additionally, a nurse needs to inquire the patient’s opinions regarding the treatment options, side effects of medicines and how they help in improving the client’s ability to cope with the impacts (Cleary-Holdforth, & Leufer, 2013). A nurse can as well involve in simple patient education to ascertain his preferences thus allowing for an opportunity to advise and encourage the patient.
The drugs used bear life-threatening adverse effects and may cause serious injuries if the client fails to adhere to the prescriptions. Even in the presence of a nurse, the drugs may still cause side effects on the patient. For this reason, antipsychotic drugs have a boxed warning to show the possibility of a significant risk (Molloy et al., 2012). The black box warnings available always inject different prescription patterns by various physicians hence confusing many nurses and patients about the best preferable translation. Among children, the drugs are always prone to childhood depression (Molloy et al., 2012). The effect always results to mood and behavioral disturbances especially after the injections for BP diagnosis.
In conclusion, mental disorder is one of the most distressing conditions that affect the overall health of an individual. Although the WHO has provided medications that work well to cure the disease, it continues to impact many lives. The treatment process calls for total attention to the patient where the physician has to keep track of the changes that occur from the day of commencement of therapy until full recovery is realized. Lastly, family members and friends have a huge role to play in the cost involved and the side effects the person may feel require close attention.
References
Bench, S., Day, T., & Metcalfe, A. (2013). Randomised controlled trials: An introduction for nurse researchers. Nurse Researcher, 20(5), 38–44.
Cleary-Holdforth, J., & Leufer, T. (2013). The strategic role of education in the prevention of medication errors in nursing: Part 2. Nurse Education in Practice, 13(3), 217–220.
Eisenberg, S. (2012). NIOSH safe handling of hazardous drugs guidelines becomes state law. Journal of Infusion Nursing, 35(5), 316–319.
Molloy, L., Field, J., Beckett, P., & Holmes, D. (2012). PRN psychotropic medication and acute mental health nursing: Reviewing the evidence. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services, 50(8), 12–15.
