The support and involvement of family and friends can be crucial in helping someone who is depressed. As a nurse, you can help family members of people with depression.

Suggest that family members:

• Educate themselves and others about depression to help them understand what their loved one is experiencing.
• Help their loved one with depression to stick to his or her treatment plan. This means making sure medicines are available if prescribed, attending therapy sessions with the person if needed, helping the person to make recommended lifestyle changes, and encouraging the person to follow up with the proper healthcare provider.

Source: Stressed Out About Difficult Patients, HCPro Inc., 2007. For more information on our series of Stressed Out books, visit www.stressedoutnurses.com