NURS 6630 Assignment Therapy
NURS 6630 Assignment Therapy
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that approximately 15.7 million adults
in the United States have depression (NIMH, 2014), making depression one of the most
common disorders you will treat in practice. Although this disorder is so prevalent,
antidepressant therapy must be as unique as each individual you treat. There are
dozens of antidepressant medications on the market, and you must be able to identify
which medication or combinations of medications will result in the best outcomes for
your clients.
This week, as you study antidepressant therapies, you examine the assessment and
treatment of clients with mood disorders. You also explore ethical and legal implications
of these therapies.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
Assess client factors and history to develop personalized plans of antidepressant therapy for
adult and geriatric clients
Analyze factors that influence pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes in adult and
geriatric clients requiring antidepressant therapy
Analyze the impact of ethnicity on antidepressant therapy
Evaluate efficacy of treatment plans
Apply knowledge of providing care to adult and geriatric clients presenting for antidepressant
therapy
Learning Resources
Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the
Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Note: All Stahl resources can be accessed through this link provided.
Stahl, S. M. (2013). Stahl’s essential psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific basis and
practical applications (4th ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Note: To access the following chapters, click on the Essential Psychopharmacology,
4th ed tab on the Stahl Online website and select the appropriate chapter. Be sure to
read all sections on the left navigation bar for each chapter.
Chapter 6, “Mood Disorders”
Stahl, S. M. (2014b). The prescriber’s guide (5th ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge
University Press.
Note: To access the following medications, click on the The Prescriber's Guide, 5th
ed tab on the Stahl Online website and select the appropriate medication.
Review the following medications:
amitriptyline
bupropion
citalopram
clomipramine
desipramine
desvenlafaxine
doxepin
duloxetine
escitalopram
fluoxetine
fluvoxamine
imipramine
ketamine
mirtazapine
nortriptyline
paroxetine
selegiline
sertraline
trazodone
venlafaxine
vilazodone
vortioxetine
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Howland, R. H. (2008). Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression
(STAR*D). Part 1: Study design. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health
Services, 46(9), 21-24. doi:02793695-20081001-0510.3928/02793695-20080901-06
Howland, R. H. (2008). Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression
(STAR*D). Part 2: Study outcomes. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health
Services, 46(10), 21-24. doi:02793695-20081001-0510.3928/02793695-20080901-06
Yasuda, S.U., Zhang, L. & Huang, S.-M. (2008). The role of ethnicity in variability in
response to drugs: Focus on clinical pharmacology studies. Clinical Pharmacology &
Therapeutics, 84(3), 417–423. Retrieved from
https://web.archive.org/web/20170809004704/https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/Sci
enceResearch/…/UCM085502.pdf
Discussion: The Impact of Ethnicity on
Antidepressant Therapy
Major depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent disorders you will see in clinical
practice. Treatment for this disorder, however, can vary greatly depending on client
factors, such as ethnicity and culture. As a psychiatric mental health professional, you
must understand the influence of these factors to select