NURS FPX 4015 Assessment 3: Concept Map: The 3Ps and Mental Health Care
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a complex and multifactorial mental health disorder, presently positioned at the third place in terms of the disease burden in the world (Bains & Abdijadid, 2023). The combined use of the psychological, physiological and pharmacological elements, which are sometimes called the “3Ps” are important in diagnosing, treating and understanding MDD. NURS FPX 4015 Assessment 3 highlights how the concept map clarifies important aspects of the case of Ivy Jackson discussed in this paper and helps in pinpointing evidence and patient-centered mental health care.
Case Scenario
The patient, Ivy Jackson, is a 61-years old woman that has persistent sadness, experienced significant weight loss, sleep disturbance, and emotional distress after significant life change. Her symptoms match Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) depressive disorder with recurrent major depression the criteria. NURS FPX 4015 Assessment 3 emphasizes the need for a holistic and multifaceted approach to address her risk factors, diagnostic assessments, medication management, possible complications, and required nursing interventions.
Mental Health Diagnosis
Ivy has the diagnostic character of MDD, the condition notable by constant low mood, cognitive exertion, reduced interests in everyday activities, changes in sleep, and loss of functioning (Bains & Abdijadid, 2023). She denies frequent crying spells feeling hopeless, anhedonia and her weight loss due to loss of appetite. NURS FPX 4015 Assessment 3 highlights that other symptoms include fatigue, poor concentration, and insomnia. Using a concept map for mental health, it is noted that she reports no suicidal thoughts, but her extremely high level of emotional distress and social withdrawal suggests a very high-risk level, requiring close clinical monitoring.
NURS FPX 4015 Assessment 3 identifies risk factors contributing to the situation, including a recent divorce leading to emotional instability, a family history of depression, a history of hypertension, and prior depressive episodes. Remarkably, Ivy had earlier been on a prescription of a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) venlafaxine, which she stopped to take because of withdrawal effects, and the condition relapsed (Naudin et al., 2022).
The mental health concept map shows that although her depressive episode was triggered by a life stressor, the duration and severity of her symptoms, along with neurobiological mechanisms such as neurotransmitter imbalance and dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, align more closely with MDD than with short-term situational depression (Remes, 2021). NURS FPX 4015 Assessment 3 recommends pharmacologic therapy using escitalopram, evidence-based psychotherapy, and lifestyle changes to help address her overall well-being.
Concept Map: Ivy Jackson’s MDD Risk Factors and Symptoms
| Category | Description |
| Psychological | The mental health nursing concept map highlights emotional turmoil resulting from divorce, depressed mood, and anti-social behavior. It also notes that the depression gene may manifest due to genetic predisposition from family history. |
| Physiological | Vulnerability is increased by hypertension and history of depressive episodes. Symptoms are aggravated by weight loss and lack of activity. |
| Pharmacological | Withdrawal of venlafaxine led to relapse emphasizing how relapse can be triggered by withdrawal of medication and failure to facilitate transitions carefully. |
| Signs and Symptoms | Depression, crying, inability to think clearly, tiredness, sleeping difficulties, loss of appetite and side effects like nausea, and headaches. |