A NURSING PRACTICE PARADIGM FOR DEPRESSED RURAL WOMEN - THEORETICAL BASIS

Depression is common among disadvantaged, rural women. Few of these wo men are treated because of access barriers or because treatment does n ot meet their needs. A treatment program for major depressive disorder (MDD) was designed based on biopsychosocial perspectives of the cause of MDD and practice roles of psychiatric nurses. The Nursing Practice Paradigm for Depressed Rural Women (NPP) guides a structured shortter m nursing care program for MDD, the Women's Affective Illness Treatmen t Program (WAIT). The NPP and its theoretical basis are described. Cop yright (C) 1996 by W.B. Saunders Company