Psychiatric disorder in children

Depression is a common psychiatric disorder in children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. Primary care providers, not mental health professionals, treat the majority of patients with symptoms of depression. Persons who are depressed have feelings of sadness, loneliness, irritability, worthlessness, hopelessness, agitation, and guilt that may be accompanied by an array of physical symptoms as well as substance abuse. Identifying patients with depression and substance abuse can be difficult in busy primary care settings where time is limited, but certain depression/substance abuse screening tools may help diagnose the disorder.

Discuss a screening tool that can be used in the primary care setting that can help with the identification of patients with depression and or substance abuse. What is your responsibility as a primary care provider to this patient once a disorder has been identified?

About one page in length. At least 3 references, not older than 5 years old.

Requirements: one page

Answer preview

The Geriatric Depression Scale is available in public clinics, asking questions concerning symptoms experienced in the past few weeks or months. It incorporates both reported and observed behavior (Guerin, Copersino, & Schretlen, 2018).  For example, if we suspect a patient is depressed, the scale gives a 50percent results for our suspicion. It is the best scale though it is mostly not found in health care facilities. With this, you get direct answers, reducing the time as many depressed people don’t like interrogations for long.

As a primary care provider, I am supposed to diagnose a patient with depression and initiate treatment (Waitzfelder, Stewart, Coleman, Rossom, Ahmedani, Beck, & Simon, 2018). I should be able to decide what level of interventions they need. After that, I should develop therapeutic activities for patients and provide psych education for patients and significant others.

Answer preview

The Geriatric Depression Scale is available in public clinics, asking questions concerning symptoms experienced in the past few weeks or months. It incorporates both reported and observed behavior (Guerin, Copersino, & Schretlen, 2018).  For example, if we suspect a patient is depressed, the scale gives a 50percent results for our suspicion. It is the best scale though it is mostly not found in health care facilities. With this, you get direct answers, reducing the time as many depressed people don’t like interrogations for long.

As a primary care provider, I am supposed to diagnose a patient with depression and initiate treatment (Waitzfelder, Stewart, Coleman, Rossom, Ahmedani, Beck, & Simon, 2018). I should be able to decide what level of interventions they need. After that, I should develop therapeutic activities for patients and provide psych education for patients and significant others. Most depressed people need human contact, dialogue, guidance, and real-time interaction when treated for depression.

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Psychiatric disorder in children