The pharmacologic intervention for Margo should include a combination of psychotherapy and medication use. The typical solution for moderate depression is using levomilnacipran due to the high anxiety level of the patient (Park & Zarate, 2019). There is also the proposition to use ketamine as the glutamate receptor modulator for reducing the adverse effects of depressive disorder (Dean et al., 2021). As it was already mentioned, structured psychotherapy is the essential prescription for patients with depression because they allow them to cope with their emotional burden (Health Quality Ontario, 2017). Therefore, Margo should receive antidepressants and antianxiety treatment to help her cope with her sleeping problems and fears. The combination with psychotherapy will stabilize her emotional state, and the patient should not be afraid of less acute feelings during the treatment. Even though she might feel that her emotional range is restricted, her mental health will stabilize.
Margo shows typical signs of moderate depression, determining the pharmacological treatment the family nurse practitioner should prescribe her. It is critical to cope with her sleeping problems because it significantly affects her life’s quality. Gaining weight and the absence of the usual exercise activities are two other severe concerns that Margo should acknowledge. As the nurse practitioner, I need to explain to the patient the importance of a healthy diet to avoid eating problems, exercising to support her physical and mental state, and the vital need for sleep. It is necessary to explain to the patient that she might feel the first positive changes in her mood and overall state in 2 months because the effect of the intervention is not instant (Park & Zarate, 2019). Therefore, it is critical to take the prescribed drugs and change the lifestyle according to the recommendations for positive changes.
References
Dean, R. L., Hurducas, C., Hawton, K., Spyridi, S., Cowen, P. J., Hollingsworth, S., Marquardt, T., Barnes, A., Smith, R., McShane, R., Turner, E. H., & Cipriani, A. (2021). Ketamine and other glutamate receptor modulators for depression in adults with unipolar major depressive disorder. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 9(9), CD011612. Web.
Health Quality Ontario (2017). Psychotherapy for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder: A health technology assessment. Ontario Health Technology Sssessment Series, 17(15), 1–167. Web.
Park, L. T., & Zarate, C. A., Jr (2019). Depression in the primary care setting. Reply. The New England Journal of Medicine, 380(23), 2279–2280. Web.