Introduction
The development of a treatment plan for any condition with the inclusion of complementary techniques seems beneficial for a better outcome, and depression is no exception to the rule. This condition is related to different sources of stress in one’s life and, therefore, can be addressed through the adoption of alternative means to mitigate it (Anokye et al., 2018). For the purposes of this paper, the selected patient is a 32-year-old woman with postpartum depression whose situation is complicated by a previous history of similar issues. Hence, the examination of this case is advantageous for demonstrating the benefits of complementary therapy in practice.
The Client, The Clinical Diagnosis, and Signs and Symptoms
The patient under consideration was regularly reported to have stress-related problems over the past ten years. They varied from moderate anxiety to severe recurring bouts of depression, and the treatment was a combination of different medications and cognitive behavioral therapy. Her condition was thereby stabilized but started to deteriorate after giving birth to her first child two months ago. The clinical diagnosis of postpartum depression was made, and this conclusion was based on the presence of signs and symptoms which are typical for this issue. Thus, the woman faced frustration and sadness, preventing her from taking good care of the child, and the lack of support led to the emergence of concerns similar to those in the past. Since the medications, which were previously used for addressing the problem, were proved to be insufficient for overcoming this challenge in the long run, the use of complementary therapies is recommended.
Complementary Therapies and the Rationale for Their Selection
The first solution related to alternative treatment techniques is the use of bright light therapy. This option is a relatively new method for curing depression and, therefore, should be introduced with caution (Nguyen, 2017). However, it is also one of the least time-consuming approaches, which corresponds to the needs of the mother, and this fact allows for considering it as suitable for the prospective positive outcomes (Nguyen, 2017). In addition, another study confirms that it is safe and effective for such cases, which means that this suggestion is feasible (McCloskey & Reno, 2019). As for the process, bright light therapy implies wearing the devices throughout the day in order to eliminate the symptoms of depression and increase one’s energy levels (Swanson et al., 2018). It cannot be used separately from official medications but serves as an excellent complement to them.
Another alternative technique, which facilitates the treatment of postpartum depression, is acupuncture. It is known to reduce depression and anxiety in patients with the above health issue and, therefore, can be safely recommended to the woman (McCloskey & Reno, 2019). Moreover, it does not imply the presence of discomfort in individuals resorting to this solution, which adds to the rationale of its selection (McCloskey & Reno, 2019). This method means the stimulation of specific acupuncture points by manually inserting needles, and its effects are similar to those of bright light therapy (Smith et al., 2019). Thus, it can also be included in the treatment plan to increase its efficiency.
The Integration of Complementary Therapies into the Client Management Plan
The integration of bright light therapy into the client management plan can be made through the adoption of a specific instrument that is used in the home setting. According to the study conducted by Swanson et al. (2018), it is reported to be well-tolerated by women with postpartum depression. Hence, the prescription will be to use a home wearable light therapy device for at least an hour during the day (Swanson et al., 2018). In addition, self-reporting should be encouraged to trace the actual effects of this solution in the case of the patient. In this way, it can become an optimal method for regulating the daily activity of the mother, thereby increasing her well-being and the capability to take care of her child.
The integration of acupuncture in the patient’s routine will be made on the basis of the hospital. These procedures can be performed during regular visits to the medical specialist and, consequently, in the case of their effectiveness, used to replace conventional medications, which provide only short-term effects (Armour et al., 2019). This initiative will require the facility’s personnel to pay particular attention to any changes related to introducing this technique. It will be better if it is performed separately from the bright light therapy described above. For instance, one of the approaches can be presented now, and another option can be included in a month. In this way, it will be possible to distinguish between the outcomes of the two complementary therapies.
The Predicted Outcomes of Implementing the Complementary Therapies
The first solution, bright light therapy, seems beneficial for addressing some of the most critical issues related to postpartum depression. According to scholars, the improvements after its introduction are usually related to mitigating the symptoms attributed to this condition while having no significant impact on the routines of the patients (Swanson et al., 2018). This technique was confirmed to be efficient in this respect both by the affected persons on the grounds of their self-reports and their doctors, whose opinions were based on the results of testing instruments (Swanson et al., 2018). Considering these provisions, it can be expected that the signs of depression in the woman will be reduced over time, and this method will allow for stabilizing her condition with regard to the present circumstances.
The second complementary therapy, acupuncture, will also be advantageous for the same purpose. Moreover, it might be better to eliminate conventional medications in the case of recurring events of this nature in the future (Anokye et al., 2018). According to the researchers, this approach is proved to be more effective in addressing the severity of depression in comparison with regular care (Armour et al., 2019). It also allows readjusting anti-depressant medication for its consequent elimination in the future (Armour et al., 2019). From this perspective, the expected outcomes for the woman will be the mitigation of symptoms, which allows for avoiding the standard means of their treatment in the long run. The similarity between the predictions concerning the adoption of bright light therapy and acupuncture adds to the efficiency of the selected measures and contributes to better results of the treatment with regard to the signs of postpartum depression.
Conclusion
To summarize, the introduction of complementary therapies for patients with a history of depressive state and anxiety seems to be an optimal solution for reducing the consumption of medications in the future. The first approach, the use of light therapy devices at home, is efficiently underpinned by the second option, which is acupuncture. The two methods of coping with postpartum depression were confirmed to be beneficial for addressing its principal symptoms. Thus, they should be viewed as the techniques which potentially can replace the conventional means of treating this problem.
References
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McCloskey, R. J., & Reno, R. (2019). Complementary health approaches for postpartum depression: A systematic review. Social Work in Mental Health, 17(1), 106-128.
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Smith, C. A., Shewamene, Z., Galbally, M., Schmied, V., & Dahlen, H. (2019). The effect of complementary medicines and therapies on maternal anxiety and depression in pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of Affective Disorders, 245, 428-439.
Swanson, L. M., Burgess, H. J., Zollars, J., & Arnedt, J. T. (2018). An open-label pilot study of a home wearable light therapy device for postpartum depression. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 21(5), 583-586.