What is the nurses most important role in caring for a client with a mental health disorder?

Mental health is a crucial condition that needs proper care and treatment. One of the ways to help people dealing with mental health issues is to seek experienced nursing care. Mental health nursing care involves assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of psychiatric problems. 

During primary care, mental health nurse works with the doctor to evaluate the progress and effects of the treatment as well.

Mental health nursing care is often advised in a complex situation where the patient needs constant support and safety. In some cases, people at risk of developing mental health issues can also avail the services of mental health nurses. 

Some of the people who need mental health nursing care may have the following psychiatric issues: 

• Bipolar disorder
• Phobias
• Personality disorder
• Major depression
• Schizophrenia
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Eating disorders
• Panic disorder

These conditions may be caused by traumatic experiences, genetic predisposition, or excessive stress. If not treated well, these mental health conditions can affect a person’s day-to-day life and this is where mental health nursing care becomes important. 

Not many know but benefits of mental health nursing care are diverse. From getting an in-house assessment of the mental illness to finding a compassionate person who helps you through the difficult emotional times, a mental health nurse help in meeting all the challenges you can face due to psychiatric issues. Here are some of those benefits: 

• Offer a proper mental health nursing care plan for effective treatment
• Help in understanding the mental condition better and adopting strategic ways to deal with it
• Connect you with knowledgeable mental health professionals and link you with community groups as well
• Assess the situation regularly to track the progress of the condition
• Make sure you get proper diet and nutrition and focus on overall health since people with mental illness are prone to developing physical illnesses as well
• Encourage in improving self-esteem and help in handing extreme emotions like anger and frustration
• Help in building better and healthy relationships through counselling
• Support in times of emotional outbursts and instill hope

A mental health nurse’s role varies from patient to patient. However, there are some basic roles and responsibilities that he/she has to follow. Some of them are listed below: 

• A mental health nurse plays a key role in evaluating the mental health needs of the patients.
• A mental health nurse also encourages the patient to express feelings and help them in handling their anger and frustration. 
• The nurse also helps in developing the nursing care plan for mental health patients.
• Coordination with families and doctors is also a vital role of mental health nurses. 
• He/she also administers the medications while ensuring that the patient sticks to the treatment plan. 
• Other than taking care of the medical needs, mental health nursing care also focuses on providing personal care and mental support to the patient and their families as well.
• An experienced mental health nurse also provides psychotherapy services as advised by the doctors. 

When planning to avail in-home nursing care for mental health patients, it is essential to look for trained and certified healthcare professionals. This will make sure you get the proper care and get a speedy recovery.  

Our mental health includes all aspects of our physical, psychological, emotional, and social wellbeing. Mental health is critical at each stage of life, right from adolescence through adulthood.
It’s important to keep your mental health in check and to treat any mental health conditions if they arise in order to stabilise positive routines, feelings, and ideas. By putting more emphasis on mental health care, we may increase our output, enhance our sense of ourselves, and deepen our relationships with others.

Q -How important is mental health to students?

A student’s overall wellbeing, which can also aid in their success in life, depends on their mental health. It can help students develop and sustain strong relationships with others as well as a sense of overall fulfilment. The education system must take students’ mental health in the classroom seriously.

Q – Why is it important to address mental health?

People of various ages and socioeconomic backgrounds are impacted by mental illness, and effective therapy can result from treating the symptoms that may indicate a problem. Untreated mental illness can worsen and have an adverse effect on a person’s wellbeing. People who notice warning signs should talk to their doctor and may seek nursing care of mentally ill patients.

Q – What is the importance of mental health awareness?

It’s critical to be aware and know the importance of mental health so you can see any symptoms and get care as needed. Many people are unaware of how to care for their mental health, despite the fact that everyone is familiar with the symptoms and available treatments for common illnesses that impact their loved ones, such as the flu and migraines.

Q – What are nursing interventions for mental health?

Promotion of health and well-being, psycho-education, early intervention, nursing interventions with a recovery focus on as determined by the individual, rehabilitation, and chronic disease management are all included in the practise of mental health nursing. These elements of nursing care plan for mental health are variable and persist through a person’s many life phases.

References

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• talk openly and encourage them to be honest with their friends and family about how they are
• read about the mental illness from reputable websites, such as government or health organisation websites or books by specialists
• encourage them to take an active role in their mental health recovery, get out and see people and enjoy a healthy lifestyle
• set limits and let them know what you can do for them and what you are not able to provide
• find out about any local or online training courses for mental health carers
• join a mental health support group to meet other people in a similar situation
• take any talk of suicide or self-harm seriously and speak to a mental healthcare professional about it as soon as possible
• put plans in place as a back-up in case you go on holiday, have to leave town or you are not able to care for them for any reason.

Find more useful information in the SANE Guide for Families.

Good communication and caring for someone with a mental illness

As a carer you need to communicate with the person you are caring for as well as their friends, family, healthcare professionals and medical administrative staff. You will want to make sure these interactions are as stress-free as possible.

Family and friends may want to be regularly updated on the person's condition, medication and living situation, while the person may want more privacy than that. As a mental health carer, it will be your job to manage these conversations and keep the stress levels down as much as possible.

Caring for someone having a mental health crisis

Coping with crisis situations with someone suffering from a mental health issue can be overwhelming. It can be hard to know what will help and what will make the situation worse. When someone is having a mental health crisis, they could be feeling suicidal, experiencing severe anxiety, reacting to a life problem or having a psychotic episode – or a combination of all these symptoms.

There are some simple strategies that will help you connect with the person in distress:

• introduce yourself calmly and clearly
• explain why you are there
• be polite and non-threatening but also be honest and direct
• listen to what they are saying in a non-judgmental way
• avoid confrontation
• ask them what they see as the main problem
• do not attempt physical contact, except to prevent serious assault or suicide attempts
• encourage them to talk to a mental healthcare professional
• follow up difficult experiences with counselling for yourself.

See the Urgent help for mental illness page.

Caring for a parent with a mental illness

Having a parent with mental illness has its own challenges and stressors and it's normal, particularly if you are young, to have all kinds of different feelings. You might be feeling angry, confused and alone. If you are a young person helping to care for a parent with a mental illness, it is important that you also look after your own needs and can still manage day-to-day activities such as going to school and meeting up with friends. You might find it helpful to find out more about mental illness and how to cope with a parent who has mental illness. There are lots of websites with resources, helplines and also services that provide or can link you into support groups where you'll meet others with similar experiences.

You can access most of these resources and supports for free. Also, if you need to talk to someone, you can call Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 at any time on any phone for free.

Above all, remember that you're not alone. There are over a million young people in Australia who live with a parent who has a mental health condition.

Children of Parents with a Mental Illness (COPMI)

For a large selection of resources to help families, children and young people understand and respond to the needs of a parent with mental illness visit the Children of Parents with a Mental Illness website.

Families of Parents with a Mental Illness (FaPMI)

In Victoria, the Families of Parents with a Mental Illness (FaPMI) program has coordinators located in a large number of adult clinical mental health services. These coordinators work with mental health services and other providers to ensure families where a parent has a mental illness are well supported.

FaPMI also runs:

• peer groups – such as CHAMPS (Children of Mentally Ill Parents)
• PATS (Pay Attention to Self) programs for children and young people aged 8 to 18 years
• SKIPS (Supporting Kids in Primary Schools) mental health promotion program – information sessions about FaPMI for primary schools.

To learn more about FaPMI, or to find out if there is a FaPMI coordinator you can talk to in your area, visit the Bouverie Centre website where you can locate the FaPMI coordinator contact details.

Young Carers Network

Young Carers Network has information that is targeted to people in different age groups, as well as professionals.

Looking after yourself and caring for someone with a mental illness

Being a carer for someone with a mental illness can be emotionally and physically demanding. Sometimes the burden can become too much. To make sure you do not burn out, set aside time to spend with friends and family who are not involved, and do things that you enjoy, like gardening, going to the movies or exercising. If you are in good spirits and feel refreshed, you can provide better support for the person you are caring for. If you are going through a difficult time with the person you are caring for, talk to your friends and family about it. Often, just by talking things through, they become clearer and less overwhelming. If you are concerned about the person's privacy, talk to a healthcare professional instead. They will be able to advise you on useful strategies and further mental health support services.

It is important that you know your limits. Be clear about what you can take on and how available you can be. It is better to be a consistent and stable support rather than someone who is available all the time but very stressed.

Support for carers of people with a mental illness

If you are looking after someone experiencing mental illness it is important to remember that you are not alone. There are government and community programs that provide support, counselling, respite care and advice.

Get in touch with mental health support services across Victoria and online for advice from healthcare professionals, access to information and resources, and to find out about patients' rights. Carer support services include:

Caring for someone with a mental illness – staying safe

Be aware of your own safety and trust your instincts when caring for someone with a severe mental illness. If you ever feel threatened or unsafe, it is important that you remove yourself (and any children) from danger straight away. You can always call emergency services from somewhere else if you need to get help.

For more information about staying safe when caring for someone with a mental illness, see Getting help for someone with a mental illness.

Financial and in-home mental health support

If you are looking after someone with a serious mental illness, there may be times when getting to work is difficult. You may need to be at hospital during the week, stay with the person through the night, or be around to monitor their medications. The state and federal governments have a range of financial and home support options for people who need help while they care for someone.

Find more information on the Financial support for carers.

Housing and accommodation

The person you are caring for may be staying with you at home or it may be up to you to help find accommodation for them. Help is available for people in need through a number of government programs.

Where to get help

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