Patient Education for Children and Adolescents
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Patient Education for Children and Adolescents
Major Depressive Disorder
Major depressive disorder is a mental illness, which has linked with a high burden of disease worldwide with the World Health Organization estimating that by 2030, the condition will rank first. The disease has a multifactorial etiology ranging from genetics, psychosocial factors, and biological to environmental factors.
Signs and Symptoms
According to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual V (DSM-V), the common signs and symptoms that should be present for individuals to meet the diagnostic criterion include a person having a persistently low/depressed mood, loss of interest to engage in activities that one considered pleasurable, lack of energy, and poor concentration (Hasin et al., 2018). Others include appetite changes, feelings of guilt and worthlessness, sleep disturbances, psychomotor retardation, and suicidal thoughts.
Pharmacological Treatments
Major depressive disorder is managed by diverse antidepressants, which the Federal Drug Agency has approved. They include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which include fluoxetine, citalopram, paroxetine, fluvoxamine, and citalopram (Bains & Abdijadid, 2022). Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) can also be used which include duloxetine, venlafaxine, milnacipran, and desvenlafaxine. Some of the serotonin modulators include trazodone, vortioxetine, and vilazodone. Atypical antidepressants such as bupropion and mirtazapine are usually prescribed as monotherapy. Some patients can be prescribed imipramine, doxepin, and desipramine, which are tricyclic antidepressants. Besides the above medications, physicians can prescribe mood stabilizers and antipsychotics to complement the antidepressant effects.
Non-pharmacological Treatments
Major depressive disorder can be managed using non-pharmacological treatments. Patients can be introduced to cognitive–behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, vagus nerve stimulation, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a type of therapy, which enables individuals to change their maladaptive patterns and behaviors. Cognitive behavioral therapy enables people to develop positive thoughts and at the same time to develop better coping mechanisms (Nakao et al., 2021).
Interpersonal therapy is a short-term therapy that is used to manage mood disorders such as depression. It takes approximately 12 to 16 weeks and mainly focuses on a person’s interpersonal and social interactions. It, therefore, results in better social functioning and symptomatic recovery among the patients.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation refers to a non-invasive procedure that allows brain stimulation using a magnetic field improving depression symptoms.
Vagus nerve stimulation is another FDA-approved non-pharmacological treatment that can be used for the management of treatment-resistant depression, especially among patients that have had at least four failed medication trials.
Electroconvulsive therapy is another type of non-pharmacological treatment that is used among patients with acute suicidality, those showing refusal to eat/drink, patients with catatonia, pregnant women showing severe depression, and well as patients presenting with severe psychosis.
Community Resources and Referrals
Patients suffering from major depressive disorder need access to community resources and referrals to improve the severity of their symptoms, improving their coping mechanisms and their social functioning. The community resources that would be available include social groups in the community, which would help in increasing a person’s sense of belonging and improving social interactions. Resources that can be utilized by patients would include 911, Suicide, Crisis Lifeline, or even the Crisis Text Line that would offer emergency services and even counseling.

References
Bains, N., & Abdijadid, S. (2022). Major depressive disorder. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.
Hasin, D. S., Sarvet, A. L., Meyers, J. L., Saha, T. D., Ruan, W. J., Stohl, M., & Grant, B. F. (2018). Epidemiology of adult DSM-5 major depressive disorder and its specifiers in the United States. JAMA psychiatry, 75(4), 336-346.
Nakao, M., Shirotsuki, K., & Sugaya, N. (2021). Cognitive–behavioral therapy for management of mental health and stress-related disorders: Recent advances in techniques and technologies. BioPsychoSocial Medicine, 15(1), 1-4.