Education of Patients on the Benefits of Taking Antidepressants - Research Paper Example

Education of Patients on the Benefits of Taking Antidepressants Task: 10th July Education of Patients on the Benefits of Taking Antidepressants Introduction Antidepressants provide an ideal route for treating moderate to serious depression. Sometimes psychotherapy is recommended in cases of mild depression, but pharmacotherapy remains an effective approach of managing depression. However, depression is mainly a chronic condition meaning that management strategies should be long-term and need to concentrate on maintaining observance of the therapy (Pohar, 2004).

Indeed, early termination of therapy has potential of developing the risk of relapse. According to Rothschild & APA (2012), patients develop negative attitudes towards these drugs. This aspect leads to poor adherence, limiting the performance of the model. Consequently, caregivers need to adopt interventions for changing such attitudes hence this paper explores the necessity of educating patients on the benefits of taking antidepressants. The Education Process Shrank & Avorn (2007) observe that depression is a serious disorder, which leads to rigorous personal suffering, considerable agony in families and serious societal losses.

This states that health professionals and the society cannot ignore the effect of this condition since such an approach would be detrimental. Accordingly, the community needs to capitalize on any available strategy that can reduce the effect of this condition. Tactically, Vergouwen, et al. (2009) note that care providers should not despair since the challenge has a solution but guides that the only opportunity available is educating patients on the need of following the scheme accordingly. Notably, Preskorn (2009) observes that caregivers can uncover most concerns that challenge their activities through education.

Rothschild & APA (2012) observes that patients mainly deny medication due to lack of knowledge. Education would then enlighten patients by explaining to them on the necessity of taking antidepressants. In fact, Shrank & Avorn (2007) supports the idea of educating patients by stating, “To make thoughtful decisions about using medication and to take them safely and appropriately, patients must have at least a basic understanding about the risks and benefits of their prescribed drugs and how to administer them.

” Providing education to the patients would hence develop a situation where patients make decisions from an informed perspective. This would provide patients with an opportunity of observing positions, which suits their condition best. Furthermore, Pohar (2004) asserts that various studies have identified that antidepressant education has an important attribute of promoting adherence. In fact, the author observes that earlier studies conform that the rates of adherence and discontinuation associates intimately with the type of information that caregivers give their patients.

Physicians who provide their clients with more information establish a group that presented high levels of conformances. Importantly, Rothschild & APA (2012) affirms that the community has not understood the real context of antidepressant drugs. This leads to confusions leaving patients with uninformed and misguided minds that associate the drugs with sufferings. Shrank & Avorn (2007) explains the predicament of the information which circulates among the patients by stating, “.this information is often inconsistent, incomplete, and difficult for patients to read and understand.

” Such a situation develops a dilemma to the patients hence are enable to make ideal decisions. Education would come as a solution to this challenge since such a scheme would avail essential and reliable information. Besides making patients understand the importance of taking medication, education would also eliminate biased information that affects the patients’ feelings. Consequently, providing education to depressed patients would clarify the controversy of antidepressant drugs. Since the utmost challenge, emanate with the attitude that patients avail to these drugs; an ideal approach of ensuring their acceptability is developing a strategy that would change such attitudes.

Preskorn (2009) observes that patients are unwilling to take medication due to, “The belief that taking antidepressant medication is a sign of weakness or being crazy.” Patients who have this kind of fear cooperates poorly making this condition undermine the performance of the plan. Indeed, Preskorn further asserts that patients may justifiably seek to access the evidence that such medication would assist them overcome their problems (Preskorn, 2009). Education would provide a reasonable response to such concerns by clarifying subject as per patient’s demands.

Considering that, depression is a psychological disorder, failing to respond to the patients’ concerns would worsen the situation. Vergouwen, et al. (2009) justify effectiveness of educational support by noting that, “The depression care program ameliorates beliefs about antidepressants in primary care patients with major depressive disorder.” Conclusion Evidently, the necessity of educating patients on the requisite of taking antidepressants cannot be emphasized. Education is of great significance since it provides patients with a clarification on the need of taking medication.

Importantly, education would promote attitude change since it works against misinformed values associated with antidepressants drugs. All these attributes have potential of building acceptability and adherence. Consequently, education provides an ideal solution to the challenges that emanate with the refusal of antidepressants. Therefore, caregivers and the society should avail patient education a reasonable attention. References Preskorn, S. (2009). Outpatient management of depression. Caldo, OK: Professional Communications, Inc. Pohar, R. (2004).

Dealing with depression: Help fill the gap in patient care. Pharmacy Practice, 20(10), S5-S10, S12-S13. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/232048854?accountid=45049 Rothschild, A. J., & American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2012). The evidence-based guide to antidepressant medications. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Pub. Shrank, W. H., & Avorn, J. (2007). Educating patients about their medications: The potential and limitations of written drug information. Health Affairs, 26(3), 731-40.

Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/204647633?accountid=45049 Vergouwen, A. et al. (2009). Improving patients' beliefs about antidepressants in primary care: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial of the effect of a depression care program. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 11(2), 48-52. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2707115 GNS 312 - GRADING RUBRIC Paper on Topic of Clinical Expertise Due Week 5, Day 7 CONTENT POSSIBLE EARNED FACULTY COMMENTS Title page followed APA formatting for page set up 1 Introductory paragraph logically outlined what to expect in the paper (No abstract necessary) 1 Paper topic was related to student’s area of clinical expertise.

(It is not uncommon for students to write about something other than the assigned topic. No matter how well written, they end up losing points.) 1 Paper followed the outline presented in the introductory paragraph 1 Paper included a minimum of four quotations. 1 Quotations were formatted appropriately based on their circumstances: 1. short quote 2. long quote 3. paraphrased material 4. reference citation 5. deleted content from original source 6. added content to the original source (One point awarded for each properly cited quotation.) 4 Paper concluded with a summary paragraph 1 Reference page following APA guidelines for title, alphabetical order, a minimum of three articles used, and inclusion of all the references cited 1.

5 Reference citations followed APA guidelines for proper formatting based on the type of reference- a. book b. journal c. personal communication 3.5 References used were from scholarly sources 1 Paper was free from spelling and grammatical errors 2 Paper following a logical flow and development of thought 2 Total Points 20 Earned