OSSSC Nursing Officer-2023
Mental Health Nursing
Medium
Depression:
Appeared in: OSSSC Nursing Officer-2023
Explanation
- This option is the most comprehensive choice as it correctly identifies two key facts: that depression is not a normal part of aging and that it has a specific cluster of symptoms.
- It directly refutes the common and harmful myth that feeling depressed is an inevitable consequence of getting older, which often prevents diagnosis and treatment.
- The symptoms listed (loss of interest, sadness, weight loss, worthless feelings) are all core diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder.
- By combining both the nature of the illness in relation to aging and its symptomatology, this option provides the fullest correct answer.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option A: This statement is a common but dangerous myth. Believing depression is normal for older adults leads to underdiagnosis and undertreatment, causing unnecessary suffering and increased health risks.
- Option B: While this statement is factually correct, it is incomplete. It only states what depression is not, without describing what it is. Option D is better because it includes this fact and also provides examples of symptoms.
- Option C: This statement is also factually correct but incomplete. It only lists symptoms and does not address the important context of depression in relation to the aging process. Option D is superior because it covers both aspects.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Characteristics and misconceptions of depression in the elderly as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
- Nurses must actively screen for depression in older adults using tools like the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), as it is often missed or attributed to other health issues or normal aging.
- A key nursing role is to educate patients and their families that depression is a treatable medical condition, not a personal failing or an inevitable part of aging. This reduces stigma and encourages help-seeking.
- What if? If an older patient presents with sadness and weight loss but also has a recent diagnosis of hypothyroidism, the nurse's priority would be to ensure the hypothyroidism is being adequately treated, as its symptoms can mimic depression. The depression may resolve once the thyroid levels are normalized.
How to Approach the Question
- First, evaluate each statement (A, B, C) for its factual accuracy regarding depression.
- Recognize that statement A ('Is a normal part of aging') is a well-known misconception and is incorrect.
- Confirm that statement B ('Is not a normal process of aging') is a correct statement.
- Confirm that statement C (listing symptoms) is also a correct statement.
- Evaluate option D, which proposes that both B and C are correct. In questions where an option synthesizes multiple correct facts, it is often the most complete and therefore the best answer.
- Select the option that provides the most comprehensive and accurate description of the topic.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Characteristics and misconceptions of depression in the elderly.
- Stem keywords: Depression, aging
- Lead-in keywords: correct answers
- Negative lead-in flag: false
Question ID
QPLrbhTafgwNfdH4mLjlmf
Reference Book
E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) pp. 13970-13972, 13729-13731
E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 1218-1220
Practise the full OSSSC Nursing Officer-2023
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
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