Exploring existential ideas with an older adult experiencing severe depression
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Exploring existential ideas with an older adult experiencing severe depression

Madelaine Watkins Community mental health nurse, mental health services for older people, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Amy Howells Clinical psychologist mental health services for older people, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

This article discusses a service user’s story of surviving a life-threatening brain haemorrhage, which resulted in her having severe and chronic depression with suicidal ideation. She describes her experiences of an existential crisis and loss of self-identity which she was unable to resolve independently. The article describes the collaborative work between a service user, mental health nurse and clinical psychologist to meaningfully work towards recovery. Using existential and humanistic orientations, it describes some key evidence based psychological approaches to intervention. The service user contributed to the article, which became an intervention in itself.

Mental Health Practice. 20, 3, 30-35. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2016.e1144

Correspondence

auntietravellingmadz@hotmail.co.uk

Peer review

This article has been subject to double blind peer review

Conflict of interest

None declared

Received: 16 December 2015

Accepted: 17 August 2016

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