Patient Education for Children and Adolescents
NRNP 6665
Children and Adolescents’ Patient Education
DMDD Symptoms
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) is a childhood disorder characterized by extreme rage, persistent irritability, and frequent temper tantrums. The symptoms include frequent verbal and behavioral rage, such as at least three times per week (Bruno et al., 2019). Children can have outbursts and an angry mood every day for at least a year. Patients with DMDD have difficulty performing daily activities at school, at home, and in social situations (Bruno et al., 2019). Healthcare workers diagnose the condition by reviewing a child’s previous behavior.
Pharmacological Therapies
To treat the disease, psychiatrists may prescribe antipsychotics, stimulants, antidepressants, and mood stabilizers. Antidepressants are effective in treating irritability disorders like DMDD (Benarous et al., 2020). Risperidone is a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of the condition. Practitioners may avoid prescribing antidepressants or stimulants in some cases for fear of triggering mania symptoms (Benarous et al., 2020). Individuals with heart conditions should avoid stimulants, according to practitioners.
Nonpharmacological Therapies
Nonpharmacological treatments, such as behavioral therapy, can be used by practitioners to help patients learn to control their emotions. Cognitive behavior therapy is an effective psychotherapy that teaches children how to deal with their feelings and emotions (Benarous et al., 2020). The therapy Helps children in increasing their tolerance for frustration or anger. CBT teaches children how to cope and change their perceptions, which lead to outbursts.
Parent training is effective because it teaches parents how to interact with their children in order to reduce the likelihood of aggression (VidalRibas et al., 2018). It Helps parents in anticipating behavior or activities that may result in outbursts. Anticipating situations allows them to avoid or deal with outbursts when they occur.
Computer-based training effectively changes a child’s behavior with DMDD, according to evidence-based practice (VidalRibas et al., 2018). The program alters the behavior of a child who is extremely irritable.
Resources for the Community
Medication guides are available to Help parents in deciding the best course of treatment for their sick children. Bullying awareness and outreach community programs aim to empower the community or peers to avoid triggering the aggression of other children (Bruno et al., 2019). Children with DMDD may benefit from support groups in order to share their experiences and regulate their behavior.
Referrals
Referrals are essential in the treatment of DMDD because care is provided in a variety of settings. Psychotherapy can be referred by a psychiatrist to a counselor. In a hospital or school setting, healthcare workers can refer a child to a mental healthcare professional (VidalRibas et al., 2018). Social workers who work with children can be valuable resources for the healthcare team. – – Best Dissertation Writing Service in Australia
Referrals
X. Benarous, J. Renaud, J. J. Breton, D. Cohen, R. Labelle, and J. M. Guilé (2020). Is there a difference between adolescents with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder and adolescents with major depressive disorder or persistent depressive disorder? 207-215, Journal of Affective Disorders.
A. Bruno, L. Celebre, G. Torre, G. Pandolfo, C. Mento, C. Cedro,… and M. R. A. Muscatello (2019). A review of the literature on Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder. 323-330 in Psychiatry Research, 279.
P. VidalRibas, M. A. Brotman, G. A. Salum, A. Kaiser, L. Meffert, D. S. Pine,… and A. Stringaris (2018). Emotion recognition deficits are linked to depressive symptoms in adolescents with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. Anxiety and Depression, 35(12), 1207-1217.
