The nurse working in a long-term care facility is coordinating a screening for depression. Which is the primary benefit of this event?

Question

1. Educates family about signs of depression
2. Allows family to lower their expectations of their loved one
3. Identifies symptoms of depression often associated with chronic illness and pain
4. Allows early intervention with antidepressant medication

Answer 1

3. Identifies symptoms of depression often associated with chronic illness and pain

Explanation: 1. Screening an older patient for depression allows for earlier identification and treatment. Education to the family would follow.
2. Screening older patients for depression is not done to lower expectations from older patients' family members. This action helps to identify those patients who need intervention to treat depression.
3. Depression is the mental health problem of greatest frequency and magnitude in the older population. The risk of depression in the older person increases with other illnesses and when ability to function becomes limited. Symptoms of depression are often associated with chronic illness and pain.
4. Depression in older adults is often undetected and untreated. Non-pharmacological approaches are the first line of care for depression.