Category: Top » Family

Support, Respite, Crises services, Specific Intervention - Depression

Tags: Support, Respite, Crises services, Specific Intervention - Depression

Support: The importance of support and support groups has been mentioned throughout this text. Families of the mentally ill rely on support from health-care practitioners, friends, and community resources. The National Alliance for the Mentally 111 (NAMI) is a group that has done most of the promoting of peer support groups for families of the person with mental illness. Family members can join a peer support group for emotional support, problem solving, and advocacy. Some families even learn to develop more skills to manage their lives adequately. Regular meetings help family members to talk about painful experiences and to look for personal and organizational solutions. The group process helps family members to deal directly with their internal and external sources of stress. Families are helped to face the fear and the pain in their lives rather than deny it or feel victimized.

In addition to emotional support, these organizations also have helped families become involved in direct advocacy or problem solving for their disabled member. Families learn new options for coping with mental illness. For example, families are no longer willing to accept the blame for the disability of their family member, but they are willing to look at how they might be contributing to stressful situations. They are also concerned about the contribution of society to mental illness. The family 's ability to reach out for help and to develop relationships with helpful organizations should be encouraged.

Respite care. Another valuable resource is respite care, which provides supervision for the patient in a community setting when the family needs relief. The family may take a vacation or spend a short time away from the patient without feeling the guilt associated with re hospitalization. Respite care provides a basis for a positive association between the patient and the organization or family that provides the care (Geiser et al., 1988).

Crises services: The final important resource is crises services, including home visiting. It is sometimes difficult for a family to persuade a disturbed member to go to a treatment facility, especially if the patient has been hospitalized in the past and suspects a possible re admittance. Families should not have to wait until the situation becomes so serious that they must call the police to take the patient into custody. This also has a destructive effect on the patient. Crises intervention in the home can avert this distressing situation. Home health care is a good service for patients and families who are unwilling or unable to participate in other forms of outpatient care.

Specific Intervention - Depression
The following is an example from the Mendelsons’ situation and interventions that the health-care professional might employ to facilitate the formation of a manageable family appraisal and to maximize family resources. The reader now encounters the Mendelsons during the initial onset and diagnosis of Jeremiah 's depression. This time is critical for family intervention, since the Mendelsons are forming new patterns but are not yet entrenched or committed to them. Maladaptive family behaviors are more easily prevented at this time (Halm, 1990). The family is also more open to new ideas and support at this time (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1989).

Margaret encourages Jeremiah to get a complete physical checkup. For the past 2 months he has had a poor appetite, has lost 10 pounds, cannot sleep in the early morning hours, and feels nervous and generally old and useless. The family physician completes Jeremiah 's comprehensive physical. Examination results and laboratory tests indicate that Jeremiah is a physically healthy 59-year-old. The physician shares his findings with Jeremiah. Jeremiah is perplexed with the absence of negative findings and relays this to his physician. They discuss his concerns late one afternoon. Jeremiah cannot believe that no source for his weight loss, sleeplessness, and worries has been discovered. He worries that his physician overlooked something or that the tests are falsely positive. The family physician listens to Jeremiah 's concerns and asks him more about all of his worries. They discuss his feelings that he is falling apart and feeling guilt about putting his mother in a nursing home. The physician informs Jeremiah that he appears to be suffering from depression and that it would be best if his concerns are discussed with a specialist—a psychiatrist.

Jeremiah is a bit angry and insulted by his family physician 's suggestions. He storms out of the health office and drives home to discuss this with Margaret. Margaret is very sympathetic and quietly listens as Jeremiah complains about the inadequacy of health care these days. He is angry that his physician is passing off these concerns as "all in his head" and further has the audacity to pass him off to a "shrink." He remembers his mother telling him about a similar instance involving her father. Actually, his grandfather ended up in the state mental institution for awhile.

A week passes; Jeremiah 's anger lessens and turns more into worry. He begins to fear that he will end up like his grandfather. He has more difficulty sleeping and tosses and turns for several nights. He feels totally exhausted. Margaret is now even more concerned about his health and talks him into returning to the family physician. She asks if she may go with him to hear what the physician thinks is wrong with Jeremiah.

When Jeremiah and Margaret make the return appointment, the physician encourages Margaret 's presence and asks if all family members

Rate, comment or bookmark this article

Seed Newsvine

Comments

No comments posted.

Add Comment

You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you may be able to comment.

<h1>Support, Respite, Crises services, Specific Intervention - Depression</h1><br />by aalinaeden<br />Support: The importance of support and support groups has been mentioned throughout this text. Families of the mentally ill rely on support from health-care practitioners, friends, and community resources. The National Alliance for the Mentally 111 (NAMI) is a group that has done most of the promoting of peer support groups for families of the person with mental illness. Family members can join a peer support group for emotional support, problem solving, and advocacy. Some families even learn to develop more skills to manage their lives adequately. Regular meetings help family members to talk about painful experiences and to look for personal and organizational solutions. The group process helps family members to deal directly with their internal and external sources of stress. Families are helped to face the fear and the pain in their lives rather than deny it or feel victimized.<br /><br />In addition to emotional support, these organizations also have helped families become involved in direct advocacy or problem solving for their disabled member. Families learn new options for coping with mental illness. For example, families are no longer willing to accept the blame for the disability of their family member, but they are willing to look at how they might be contributing to stressful situations. They are also concerned about the contribution of society to mental illness. The family 's ability to reach out for help and to develop relationships with helpful organizations should be encouraged.<br /><br />Respite care. Another valuable resource is respite care, which provides supervision for the patient in a community setting when the family needs relief. The family may take a vacation or spend a short time away from the patient without feeling the guilt associated with re hospitalization. Respite care provides a basis for a positive association between the patient and the organization or family that provides the care (Geiser et al., 1988).<br /><br />Crises services: The final important resource is crises services, including home visiting. It is sometimes difficult for a family to persuade a disturbed member to go to a treatment facility, especially if the patient has been hospitalized in the past and suspects a possible re admittance. Families should not have to wait until the situation becomes so serious that they must call the police to take the patient into custody. This also has a destructive effect on the patient. Crises intervention in the home can avert this distressing situation. Home health care is a good service for patients and families who are unwilling or unable to participate in other forms of outpatient care.<br /><br />Specific Intervention - Depression<br />The following is an example from the Mendelsons’ situation and interventions that the health-care professional might employ to facilitate the formation of a manageable family appraisal and to maximize family resources. The reader now encounters the Mendelsons during the initial onset and diagnosis of Jeremiah 's depression. This time is critical for family intervention, since the Mendelsons are forming new patterns but are not yet entrenched or committed to them. Maladaptive family behaviors are more easily prevented at this time (Halm, 1990). The family is also more open to new ideas and support at this time (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1989).<br /><br />Margaret encourages Jeremiah to get a complete physical checkup. For the past 2 months he has had a poor appetite, has lost 10 pounds, cannot sleep in the early morning hours, and feels nervous and generally old and useless. The family physician completes Jeremiah 's comprehensive physical. Examination results and laboratory tests indicate that Jeremiah is a physically healthy 59-year-old. The physician shares his findings with Jeremiah. Jeremiah is perplexed with the absence of negative findings and relays this to his physician. They discuss his concerns late one afternoon. Jeremiah cannot believe that no source for his weight loss, sleeplessness, and worries has been discovered. He worries that his physician overlooked something or that the tests are falsely positive. The family physician listens to Jeremiah 's concerns and asks him more about all of his worries. They discuss his feelings that he is falling apart and feeling guilt about putting his mother in a nursing home. The physician informs Jeremiah that he appears to be suffering from depression and that it would be best if his concerns are discussed with a specialist—a psychiatrist.<br /><br />Jeremiah is a bit angry and insulted by his family physician 's suggestions. He storms out of the health office and drives home to discuss this with Margaret. Margaret is very sympathetic and quietly listens as Jeremiah complains about the inadequacy of health care these days. He is angry that his physician is passing off these concerns as "all in his head" and further has the audacity to pass him off to a "shrink." He remembers his mother telling him about a similar instance involving her father. Actually, his grandfather ended up in the state mental institution for awhile.<br /><br />A week passes; Jeremiah 's anger lessens and turns more into worry. He begins to fear that he will end up like his grandfather. He has more difficulty sleeping and tosses and turns for several nights. He feels totally exhausted. Margaret is now even more concerned about his health and talks him into returning to the family physician. She asks if she may go with him to hear what the physician thinks is wrong with Jeremiah.<br /><br />When Jeremiah and Margaret make the return appointment, the physician encourages Margaret 's presence and asks if all family members<br /><br /><h2>About the Author</h2><p>Aalina Eden only writes for <a href="http://www.encyclopedialive.com/">Encyclopedia</a> of all topics like <a href="http://www.encyclopedialive.com/environment/environment.htm">Environment and Plant disease etc.</p> <br /><h3><a href="http://www.content4reprint.com/family/support-respite-crises-services-specific-intervention-depression.htm" title="Support, Respite, Crises services, Specific Intervention - Depression">Article Source:</a> <a href="http://www.content4reprint.com" title="Free high quality articles">Content for Reprint</a></h3>