Depression
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Mental Healthhigh priorityneeds review
Depression
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Biologic, psychosocial, medical, medication, and situational factors.
- Mood, sleep, appetite, cognition, and energy are affected; suicidality risk must be assessed.
Medications
| Class | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Psych antidepressants | Common pharmacologic treatment. |
Nursing actions
- Assess suicide risk, sleep, appetite, energy, and functioning.
- Encourage small achievable activities and therapeutic communication.
- Teach medication onset and warning signs.
Complications
- Suicide
- Self-neglect
- Substance use
NCLEX cues
- Safety question comes before general support.
- Energy may improve before mood.
Memory hooks
- Depression priority is suicide safety.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Trend assessment findings and ordered diagnostics; verify exact values with school source material.
Review notes
- Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.