You are the PMHNP who is seeing a new patient for symptoms o…

You are the PMHNP who is seeing a new patient for symptoms of depression.  There are no identifying triggers for the symptoms.  According to the DSM-5, you know that in order to diagnose Major depressive disorder (MDD), one of the following 2 symptoms have to be present: 

An 18 year old male patient with depression has been taking…

An 18 year old male patient with depression has been taking fluoxetine (Prozac) for 10 days (10 mg daily in AM for 7 days and 20 mg daily for the last 3 days) but tells the PMHNP that the medication is not working as she feels the depression is unchanged.  The best response is for the PMHNP to: 

The PMHNP is evaluating a 35 year old patient that meets cri…

The PMHNP is evaluating a 35 year old patient that meets criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD).  During the evaluation, the patient also endorses previous periods where they have increased goal directed behaviors, irritability, flights of ideas, decreased need for sleep, and distractibility, lasting 5 days at a time.  Which of the following diagnoses is MOST likely at this time?

A patient has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder after rep…

A patient has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder after repeated episodes of mania (one of which resulted in a psychiatric hospitalization) but has consistently refused to take medications or attend therapy, insisting that he has been misdiagnosed and has only “mild stress.”  The PMHNP recognizes this patient is probably experiencing: 

You are the PMHNP who is seeing a new patient for symptoms o…

You are the PMHNP who is seeing a new patient for symptoms of depression.  There are no identifying triggers for the symptoms.  According to the DSM-5-TR, you know that in order to diagnose Major depressive disorder (MDD), the symptoms have to be present for at least: