The impact of nursing intervention on the quality of life of patients with major depressive disorder: a narrative review.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) profoundly impairs patients' quality of life (QoL), creating a critical gap between symptom remission and holistic functional recovery. This narrative review examines the potential role and conceptual basis of nursing interventions in addressing this gap and improving QoL for individuals with MDD. It explores the evolution of mental health nursing from custodial care to a recovery-oriented, therapeutic practice, emphasizing the nurse's unique position in providing continuity within fragmented care systems. The review classifies and discusses key nursing strategies-including psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral techniques, integrated case management, mind-body interventions, and social reintegration support-while critically appraising the strength of the available evidence. A central theme throughout is the methodological challenge that much of the existing literature infers QoL benefits from symptom or functional improvement, rather than consistently employing validated, multidimensional QoL measures as primary outcomes. The review also elucidates proposed mechanistic pathways, such as the therapeutic alliance and self-efficacy development, through which nursing care may enhance QoL. Significant barriers to implementation, including workforce shortages and role ambiguity, are addressed. We conclude that while nursing interventions hold significant potential to improve patient-reported QoL, this potential is not yet fully realized or evidenced. Future work must prioritize the systematic embedding of standardized QoL assessment into intervention research, validate technology-driven solutions, and conduct robust trials to firmly establish the impact of nursing care on the holistic well-being of individuals living with MDD.