Skip to main content
Medicine LibreTexts

7.1: Introduction

  • Page ID
    65566
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Learning Objectives

    • Apply the nursing process to clients with depressive disorders
    • Describe nursing assessments related to depressive disorders
    • Identify common nursing problems/diagnoses related to depressive disorders
    • Establish a safe environment
    • Apply evidence-based practice when planning and implementing nursing care
    • Describe common treatments for depressive disorders
    • Identify appropriate referrals to community resources
    • Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions
    • Provide patient education to clients and their family members

    Depression is a common illness affecting an estimated 8% of adults in the United States annually.[1]Approximately 280 million people in the world have depression.[2] This chapter will discuss causes and types of depression, treatments for depression, and steps for applying the nursing process when caring for clients with depressive disorders.


    1. National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2017, August). Depression. https://nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Depression
    2. Depression by the World Health Organization is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO

    This page titled 7.1: Introduction is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Ernstmeyer & Christman (Eds.) (OpenRN) .

    • Was this article helpful?