For this assignment, you will develop a patient medication guide for treatment of depressive disorders in a vulnerable population (your choice for one vulnerable patient population to choose from: children, adolescents, older adults, dementia patients, pregnant women or one not listed of your choice!). Be sure to use language appropriate for your audience (patient, caregiver, parent, etc.). You will include non-copyright images and/or information tables to make your patient medication guide interesting and appealing. Limit your patient medication guide to 5 pages. You will create this guide as an assignment; therefore, a title page, introduction, conclusion, and reference page are required. 

****You must include a minimum of 3 scholarly supporting resources outside of your course provided resources.

In your patient guide, include discussion on the following:

• -Depressive disorder causes and symptoms
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• -How depression is diagnosed for the vulnerable population of your choice, why is this population considered vulnerable
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• -Medication treatment options including risk vs benefits; side effects; FDA approvals for the vulnerable population of your choice
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• -Medication considerations of medication examples prescribed (see last bullet item)
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• -What is important to monitor in terms of labs, comorbid medical issues with why important for monitoring
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• -Special Considerations (you must be specific, not general and address at least one for EACH category; you must demonstrate critical thinking beyond basics of HIPPA and informed consent!): legal considerations, ethical considerations, cultural considerations, social determinants of health
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• -Where to follow up in your local community for further information
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• -Provide 3 examples of how to write a proper prescription that you would provide to the patient or transmit to the pharmacy.

Note: Support your rationale with a minimum of five academic resources. While you may use the course text to support your rationale, it will not count toward the resource requirement. You should be utilizing the primary and secondary literature.

Here is a list of my class resources and required readings:

• Stahl, S. M. (2021). Stahl’s essential psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific basis and practical applications (5th Ed.) Cambridge University Press.
  • Chapter 6, “Mood Disorders and the Neurotransmitter Networks Norepinephrine and y-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)” (pp. 244-282)
  • Chapter 7, “Treatments for Mood Disorders: So-Called “Antidepressants” and “Mood Stabilizers” (pp. 283-338)
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• American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disordersLinks to an external site. (5th ed., text rev.). https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/book/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
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• Howland, R. H. (2008a). Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D). Part 1: Study design. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health ServicesLinks to an external site., 46(9), 21–24. https://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20080901-06
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• Howland, R. H. (2008b). Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D). Part 2: Study outcomes. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health ServicesLinks to an external site., 46(10), 21–24. https://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20081001-05
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• Lorberg, B., Davico, C., Martsenkovskyi, D., & Vitiello, B. (2019).  Principles in using psychotropic medication in children and adolescents. In J. M. Rey & A. Martin (Eds.), IACAPAP e-textbook of child and adolescent mental healthLinks to an external site.. https://iacapap.org/_Resources/Persistent/45bdffb25befc353c9f61988e82105029504ab85/A.7-Psychopharmacology-2019.1.pdf
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• Magellan Health. (2013). Appropriate use of psychotropic drugs in children and adolescents: A clinical monographLinks to an external site.. http://www.magellanhealth.com/media/445492/magellan-psychotropicdrugs-0203141.pdf
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• Poznanski, E. O., & Mokros, H. B. (1996). Child depression rating scale—RevisedLinks to an external site.. Western Psychological Services.
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• Rao, U. (2013). Biomarkers in pediatric depression. Depression & AnxietyLinks to an external site., 30(9), 787–791. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22171
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• Yasuda, S. U., Zhang, L. & Huang, S.-M. (2008). The role of ethnicity in variability in response to drugs: Focus on clinical pharmacology studies. Clinical Pharmacology & TherapeuticsLinks to an external site., 84(3), 417–423. https://web.archive.org/web/20170809004704/https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/ScienceResearch/…/UCM085502.pdf