A patient who started taking a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) 3 days ago says, "This medicine isn't working." The nurse's best intervention would be to
a. explain the time lag before antidepressants relieve symptoms.
b. reassure the patient that the medication will be effective soon.
c. critically assess the patient for lessening symptoms.
d. explore the patient's self-concept.
A
Antidepressant medications typically have a lag time of 2 to 4 weeks before being maximally therapeutic. A patient should be made aware of this instead of expecting symptom relief within 24 to 48 hours. Global reassurance is meaningless. Symptom abatement would not have occurred. Exploring the patient's self-concept does not address the patient's question.
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