Managing depressed and anxious patients

Dr Zuzana Wheeler discusses a case of anxiety and depression. She discusses how this case would be addressed using a lifestyle model (LSM). She overviews where you go to learn more and how to refer on to a LSM colleague.

Topics

Intro
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The Case - what would you like to know from the patient?
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Assessing this patient using LSM principles (SHAPE).
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How would you approach the management?
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Addressing dysfunctional lifestyle factors.
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Offering solutions in the second appointment.
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Who to refer to?
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Take home messages.
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Take home messages

Lifestyle plays a very important role in the aetiology and treatment of many mental health disorders.
Systematic screening of modifiable lifestyle factors is ideal for informed care. Best outcomes are achieved with comprehensive assessment and highly individualised treatment plan, with ongoing, often long-term support.
Assessment and management can be done as part of a 15-min consultation or patient can be referred to a trained professional.

Resources

Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine
Food and Mood Centre
A randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression (the ‘SMILES’ trial) BMC Medicine (2017)
Intuitive Eating free audiobook

Patient Resources

Presenter

Zuzana Wheeler

General Practitioner & Lifestyle Medicine Physician

Zuzana is originally from Slovakia but has called Aotearoa her home for almost 20 years. She graduated in medicine from the University of Otago in 2009. Since then she has continuously practiced in NZ and Australia. Initially, she trained in psychiatry but left the field because she was finding that it was too focused on pharmacological management, with little emphasis and time for the “whole-person” and their environment. She switched to general practice, as she believed that as a GP she was better positioned to deliver more preventative and holistic care. During this time she developed a passion for treating lifestyle related chronic disease.

She is an International Board Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician and opened her own lifestyle medicine clinic, Zivio Health in Dunedin in February 2021. She is now solely focusing on preventing, treating and reversing chronic disease and promoting wellbeing.