A patient reports feelings of sadness and hopelessness along with difficulty sleeping and weight loss.The primary care NP learns that the patient's mother died 6 months earlier.The NP should:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Bereavement over the loss of a loved one may be associated with symptoms of major depression.Although only 17% of these patients receive pharmacologic treatment,94% of symptoms have been found to resolve in 13 months or less.Bereavement counseling should be the first step.Pharmacologic treatment may be warranted if symptoms do not improve.This patient has a clear cause for depression.It is not enough to reassure the patient that the symptoms will resolve because this belittles their concerns.

A Patient Reports Feelings of Sadness and Hopelessness Along with Difficulty