Which intervention addresses patient depression in home health care?

• A. Providing denial of mental health issues.
• B. Screening for depressive symptoms and connecting to appropriate services
• C. Ignoring mood changes.
• D. Only focusing on physical health without psychosocial assessment.

Answer: (B)

Addressing mood and depressive symptoms in home health care requires proactive screening and linkage to appropriate services. Depression can accompany chronic illness and often affects motivation, energy, adherence to treatment, and overall safety. By using short, validated screening tools, you can detect depressive symptoms early, even if the patient hasn’t volunteered concerns. Once identified, connecting the patient to appropriate services—such as mental health professionals, social work, primary care, or community supports—puts a plan in place for evaluation, treatment, and follow-up. This approach supports the patient’s overall goals, improves engagement with the care plan, and helps coordinate care across disciplines.

Denying mental health issues, ignoring mood changes, or focusing only on physical health without psychosocial assessment miss critical factors that influence recovery and quality of life, making them less effective options.