NUR 590 Evidence Based Project Proposal Evaluation Plan

1 Assignment: Assessing and Treating Pediatric Patients with Mood Disorders

Assignment: Assessing and Treating Pediatric Patients with Mood Disorders

Name:

Walden U

NURS 6630: Psychopharmalogical Approaches to Treat Psychopathology

Instructor:

December 28, 2021

2 Assignment: Assessing and Treating Pediatric Patients with Mood Disorders

Assignment: Assessing and Treating Pediatric Patients with Mood Disorders

In the given scenario, the client is an 8-year-old African American male who

arrives at the ER with his mother. He is exhibiting signs of depression. The patient complained of

feeling "sad", the mother reports that the teacher said the child is withdrawn from peers in class,

decreased appetite, and occasional irritation periods. The client reached all developmental

landmarks at appropriate ages. Laboratory studies are within the normal range. The child was

referred to psychiatry for evaluation.

The patient is alert, oriented x 3, clear, coherent, goal-directed, spontaneous. The self-

reported mood was "sad." Affect was somewhat blunted but smiled appropriately at various

points throughout the clinical interview. He denies visual and auditory hallucinations. No

delusional or paranoid thought processes were noted. Judgment and insight appear to be age-

appropriate. He is not endorsing active suicidal ideation but does admit that he often thinks about

himself being dead and what it would be like to be dead.

Which decision did you select?

The first selected treatment option is Zoloft 25 mg orally daily for depression.

Why did you select this decision? Be specific and support your response with clinically

relevant and patient-specific resources, including the primary literature

Major depressive disorder occurs in adults and children and adolescents (Gershon et al.,

1987). According to researchers, it is appropriate for clinicians to prescribe an SSRI for children

and adolescents experiencing persistent moderate to severe depression or anxiety symptoms with

clear evidence of functional impairment in addition to supportive treatment or a course of

psychotherapy (Garland et al., 2016). In the given scenario, the patient is exhibiting functional