Therapeutic relationship in mental health nursing

Therapeutic Relationship in Mental Health Nursing

Code #10443400000166

Introduction

Nurses play a vital role in the health department of any country as they develop a strong bond

with the patient that might also help the patient to get out of the physical and mental problem

faster. No matter if the disease is physical or mental, the nursepatient relationship is always so

strong, and bonding that its significance is not easy to deny. Analysts believe that with the help

of better and improved therapeutic relationships between the nurse and the patient, the patient

can be helped to feel better by the good vibes created and the sense of safety; the more reliable

the relation, the higher the chances of recovery (OHSU, 2015).

This essay is focused to study the therapeutic relationship of nurse and the patients of anxiety

and depression over the age of 65. The main aim is to study the significance of the therapeutic

relationships between a nurse and a patient of depression or anxiety who is over the age of 65

and how it might help the patient to lead a better life.

The essay contains four sections. The first section includes the details of a therapy and what are

therapeutic relationships between the patient and the nurse. The second section of the essay

explains what is anxiety and depression and why a patient might need a therapeutic treatment to

get out of the mental problem. The third section discusses the significance of the therapeutic

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relationship between the anxiety and depression patients who are over the age of 65. The last

section concludes the essay and provides some recommendations.

What is Therapy and Therapeutic Relationship?

A therapy is a way of treating a patient that has a mental or a physical problem. Therapy mainly

involves physical and active involvement of the patient rather than a passive one like only taking

the medicine and waiting for it to do the magic. For instance, a person who has arthritis might

need a physical therapy and exercise to feel better and get relief from the pain. In the same way,

mental patients also need therapy along with the medicine that helps them get rid of the mental

disorder in a faster and more effective way (CNO, 2006).

The therapy can be done by a specialist, a doctor, physician, or a nurse and during the process of

the therapy, as the relationship between the patient and the nurse starts to develop, they become

complementary for each other that helps the patient towards getting better. The conditions for

this relation is to stay within the professional boundaries, healthy, active, cooperative,

supportive, honest, effective, safe, and ethical. If these codes of conduct are not followed, the

importance of this therapeutic relationship might reduce and even diminish to a major extent

(College of Physical Therapists of Alberta, 2015).

Anxiety, Depression, and Need for Therapeutic Relationship – Brief Overview

It was not long ago when psychological disorders were only treated with the help of

psychological sessions and therapies, and no medicine had been developed. As the technology


gained extensive growth, so did the field of medicine and along with many physical problems,

psychological disorders also started getting pharmacological treatment. But the introduction of

medicine for psychological problems worked as a complement to the therapies rather than

replacing them (Richelson, 1991).

Depression and anxiety are one of the most common psychological problems in the world. They

are mainly associated with sadness, lack of interest in life, pessimism, hopelessness, and

frustration. According to 2013 statistics, only in the United States, about 6.7% people suffer from

depression and this rate is 5.1% among the people above the age of 50 (NIH, 2015). This rate is

rising at an increasing rate that also increases the need for therapeutic treatments by medical

experts and nurses. Along with frustration, sadness, lack of sleep and appetite, agitation,

recklessness and mood swings, a major effects and risk of depression is the risk is committing

suicide. The patient of depression and anxiety is more likely to attempt suicide than a normal

person. That is the reason depression, and anxiety patient should seek therapeutic treatment right

away (HG, 2015).

Significance of Therapeutic Relationship between Nurse and the Patient

Depression makes a person vulnerable in many ways, and when this depression is over the age of

65, it makes a person psychological weaker than anyone can imagine. In that hard time, a good

therapeutic relationship can be very helpful for the patient to feel better. (Arnow, et al., 2013),

mentioned in their study that the therapeutic relations have a significant impact on the reversal of

symptoms of depression in patients over the age of 65. For the study, they kept 395 patients


under observation; 57% being females, and 46.91 being male and the effects were as high as 8%,

and was also statistically highly significant. The study reports that the effects of the therapeutic

relation increase as the quality and strength of the relationship enhances, and the results start to

unveil in just a couple of days.

A relation between a nurse and a patient of depression and anxiety over the age of 65 is always

based on affection, trust, respect, professional intimacy and power. The relation can only last if

these codes are followed in a certain professional and strategic manner and if not, the

significance of the therapeutic relationship can reduce to a major extent even eliminating the

need for the relationship. It is also important that the relationship is developed by keeping in

view the current situation of both the patient and the nurse. During the relationship, the

depressed patient and the nurse communicate verbally or nonverbally and proper development

of the communication tool can help strengthen the bond and generate better results. To maintain

the code of the therapeutic relationship, the nurse can do a couple of things including keeping a

proper check on the daily routine of the patient and his nature as well. Older patients suffering

from depression are usually stubborn and do not seem to cooperate. In such circumstances,

keeping in view the severity of depression, the patient, and the nurse can collaborate on the rules

of their therapeutic relationship and develop a contact to follow as the relationship grows (CNO,

2006).

According to (Bensen, 2015), the percentage of people over the age of 65 with mental disease

including depression and anxiety is as high as 20%, and right now, about 7 million adults over


the age of 65 suffer from this disease. The higher rate of depression does not only reduce the life

expectancy rate, but also invites many other mental and physical diseases. It has been reported

that the depressed patient over the age of 65 have 16% higher rate of committing suicide. Under

these astonishing drastic circumstances, the need for a strong and well therapeutic relationship

increases even more. Not only the patients of depression need this relation, but it is also very

important for the family of the patient.

In the old age like 65, the level of motivation for the depression patient is very low, and not

every patient tries to get out of the phase of depression and anxiety. In that situation, it is

believed that the therapeutic relationship is as much helpful as a blood relation and can even be

more important than any other relationship. The nurse can help the patient in developing a

healthy outlook and keep up with the positive vibes of life that can help him get out of the mental

problem. Analysts also argue that sometimes, therapeutic relationship can help the patient get out

of the depression when the familial relations can’t. It is true because of the professional and

constantly growing bond the patient and the nurse develop over time under a specific framework.

As far as the nurse keeps a proper check on the framework of the relationship, makes sure that

the needs of the relationship are being met, and health schedule is being properly followed, the

therapeutic relationship can go a long way, and transform the 65yearold depressed patient into

a mentally healthy and optimistic person (Bensen, 2015).

Some people do not favor the fact that the role of nurses in the therapeutic relationship is

significant. But while studying the therapeutic treatment of a depression victim over the age of


65 closely, it can be easily noticed that their role is angelic in this entire process. In this

therapeutic relationship, the role of the nurse is to make sure that the therapy is going into the

right direction, and the challenges of the treatment are properly handled. The nurse also makes

sure to keep the care mechanism going no matter what the level of motivation and cooperation

the patient has. On the other hand, the job of the patient is to be as cooperative as possible so that

he/she can get out of depression as soon as possible (Bullen, 2013).

(Elisabet & Fisher, 2011), reported that the role of the nurses the therapies of elderly depression

patients can be enhanced and the therapeutic relationship can be improved if the care for both the

patient and the nurse is better and the nurse is also given a broader capacity for applying the

therapeutic modules. Moreover, it is also reported that although the pharmacological treatments

of depression among the patients over the age of 65 are very important, the need and importance

to focus on other therapeutic measures that involve nurses cannot be ignored. This therapeutic

relation can provide the scope of a breakthrough in the mental health of the elderly patients.

Concluding Remarks and Recommendations

In psychological problems like depression and anxiety, therapeutic treatment is a way of treating

a patient that also invites the involvement of the patient rather than just being passive. These

therapeutic treatments mainly involve both pharmacological and psychological sessions between


the patient and the nurse to help the patient especially when the disorder is as sensitive as

depression at the age of over 65 when the patient is the most vulnerable.

During the therapeutic treatment, the patient, and the nurse develop a special bond; a therapeutic

relationship. This therapeutic relationship plays a vital role in improving the recovery of the

patient. As far as the relationship remain professional, healthy, effective, compassionate and

safe, the effects of the therapeutic relationships remain positive and can significantly help in

bringing the patient back to normal life.

To make the relationship healthy and more effective for the patient, it is suggested that the nurse

collects sufficient and necessary information about the patient beforehand so that she knows well

how to treat the patient. The therapeutic relationship also requires a reflective practice that means

that the nurse has to develop the feelings of empathy, compassion, selfawareness and

acknowledgment of professional boundaries before starting the job to make sure that the

therapeutic relationship remains healthy.

Moreover, the nurse should do a detailed general to specific learning of the problem before

starting the job and should give keen focus to the therapeutic process. The therapeutic

organization or body can also help in strengthening the patientnurse therapeutic relationships

while making sure that they keep the wellbeing of the nurse and the patient in mind.


Bibliography Arnow, B. et al., 2013. The Relationship between the Therapeutic Alliance and Treatment

Outcome in Two Distinct Psychoterapies for Chronic Depression. American Psychological

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Bensen, W., 2015. CDC Promotes Public Health Approach To Address Depression among Older

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http://nursing.advanceweb.com/Features/Articles/NurseRoleinTreatingDepression.aspx


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Available at https://www.cno.org/Global/docs/prac/41033_Therapeutic.pdf


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Available at

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/majordepressionamongadults.shtml


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Therapeutic relationship in mental health nursing