Point of view:

For the purpose of this assignment I have decided to place the emphasis on the point of view of patients that might have developed signs of depression (or other mental health disorders) , specifically, due to the vast majority of hospitalization reasons including the duration thereof and the degree in which the patient’s life is affected.

Reflexion:

As an upcoming health care professional, I feel like it is of utmost important to understand any clinical scenario from a patient’s perspective. The picture I decided on is an abstract representation of the patient’s point of view. This picture aims to represent how patients with possible depression due to the diagnosis feels and views their future after the diagnosis and the initiation of treatment thereof.

Through the eyes of such a patient the picture illustrates the feeling of depression, fear and anxiety that fills their minds. From the minute of diagnosis to the onset of treatment there is never a moment to pause process and except what has happened to them. When I look at this picture, I think about the crushed dreams represented by the leafless trees, the dark and uncertain future and the fear that hangs heavy over a patient’s head like a thick sheath of mist. Fears about the impact hospitalization has on their work, how family, business and romantic relationships are affected, the harsh medications they must take every day or as prescribed (along with their side effects), their sleep limitations and disrupted sleeping schedules and even their diet limitations to name a few. I think about the possible onset of depression, the feeling of worthlessness and their inner cry for freedom.

I chose this picture to enlighten health care professionals that patients go through the most and most of the time whilst laying in bed listening to what we have to say about their lives and how it drastically has to change, they might feel like they are lost in a scary ,misty forest all alone with no way out with the nagging smell of “hospital” peering through their every breath. In our health care system patients must feel that they are not alone in this metaphorical dark forest and that we commit to the responsibility to make them feel like they can push through. Patients that feel this way can access psychological services to change their mindset about the process of recovery. To patients feeling lost and depressed, physiotherapy and rehabilitation might feel like a long and pointless process, hence we should keep reminding them about the goal of rehabilitation allowing them to gain hope for a better tomorrow.

Literature :

Several reasons can lead hospitalization and some patients need immediate medical treatment, special medication or even surgery. According to Katon (2011) the relationship between chronic medical disorders and depression is bidirectional. In simple terms this means that chronic medical disorders can lead to depression and vice versa. Factors such as medical costs, poor facilities, poor treatment, poor cohesiveness and adherence to self-care routines, functional impairments, the increased fear and risk of morbidity and mortality in patients with medical disorders all contribute in potentially causing comorbid depression. Fortunately, evidence-based anti-depression medication as well as psychotherapies together with the patience of health care professionals prove to be effective treatments for depression.

Within the South African health care system however, the primary burden of caring for mental health rests on community-based providers and nearly three quarters of sufferers from any mental disorders, including depression, do not receive any form of treatment or mental health care whatsoever. Upon research,40% of people living with HIV has a diagnosable mental disorder. Additionally, a major stumble block arises from a lack of resources, stigmas around mental health as well as a lack of education around the matter, management and even prevention thereof (Chambers,2018). The mental health situation in a South Africa context requires a uniquely South African solution. One suggestion being the incorporation of western medicine with traditional healing methods. This approach is debatable, but with counsellors, nurses, coaches and even traditional healers at forefoot against the onset and development of depression and other mental health disorders, hope for purposeful lives of patients within a hospital setting might just be restored.

References

Chambers, C. (2018). THE SHOCKING STATE OF MENTAL HEALTH IN SOUTH AFRICA IN 2018. South African College of Applied Psychology.

Katon, W. J. (2011). Epidemiology and treatment of depression in patients with chronic medical illness. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 13(1): 7–23.