Download Depression - Livonia Public Schools

Michigan Merit Curriculum
• Strand 4: Social and Emotional Health
– 4.2 Describe the warning signs, risk factors, and
protective factors for depression and suicide.
– 4.3 Identify and locate valid resources in one’s
community and on the internet for information
and services regarding depression and suicide
prevention.
– 4.4 Demonstrate how to seek help for self or
others when suicide may be a risk.
Depression & Suicide
• Three dimensions of depression and suicide:
▫ Frequency: how often do you feel down or
depressed? Every day? 3x a week? Once
a month? All the time?
▫ Severity: How bad is it? Do you feel
suicidal? Totally hopeless and stuck in a
dark hole? Or just kind of lousy and
negative?
▫ Duration: How long does it last? Until you
see your partner? Until you go home for
the weekend? Just a couple hours? Does
it drag on for days, weeks, or even
months? Have you felt somewhat
The American Psychiatric Association uses
these symptoms to diagnose Depression:
• Deep sadness
• Apathy
• Fatigue
• Agitation
• Sleep disturbances
• Weight or appetite changes
• Lack of concentration
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Morbid thoughts
Different Types of Depression
• Minor Depression: a
mood disorder
accompanied by
feelings of
hopelessness, sadness,
or helplessness.
▫ Diagnosed when 2 to 4
of the symptoms listed
are present and last for
at least 2 weeks
▫ Minor depression
might go away or it
may become chronic
▫ Chronic would mean a
teen continues to have
Different Types of
Depression:
• Major Depression
(Clinical): This is a
serious health problem
that affects the total
person and prompt,
appropriate treatment is
necessary.
▫ Remember: it is
normal to have some
signs of depression
some of the time.
▫ But….5 or more of
these symptoms that
last for more than 2
weeks may indicate
Types of
Depression:
• Seasonal Affective
Disorder (SAD):
usually experienced
in the Fall and Winter
months, and brought
on by insufficient
sunlight
Types of Depression:
Manic-depressive or
Bipolar Disorder:
Another type of depression
usually experienced by
periods of mania, such as
intensely high energy
followed by periods or
depression.
Symptoms include:
heightened mood,
overconfidence, less need
for sleep, unrealistic plans
and ideas, irritability and
aggressive behavior, racing
thoughts and speech, poor
judgment, concentration
Clinical Depression - Check the signs you may
have:
 Grades dropping or
failing classes
 Lack of interest in
friends/activities
 A persistent sad,
anxious or empty
mood
 Sleeping too little/too
much
 Feeling guilty,
hopeless, or worthless
 Reduced appetite &
weight loss, or
increases appetite &
weight gain
Can’t communicate
your feeling to anyone
Lack of enthusiasm,
energy or motivation
Anger & rage
Overreaction to
criticism
Feelings of being
unable to satisfy ideals
Indecision, lack of
concentration or
forgetfulness
Restlessness,
irritability & agitation
Problems w/ authority
Thoughts of death or
What causes clinical depression?
• All the causes are unknown but there does
seem to be biological and emotional factors that
may increase the likelihood that an individual
may develop a depressive disorder:
▫ Chemical imbalance: some studies show too
little or too much or certain brain chemicals in
some people
▫ Family history of depression may increase the
risk of developing depression. GENETIC
PREDISPOSITION
▫ Other factors that can contribute to depression
are difficult life events (death, divorce), drug
abuse, stress & side effects from some
How common is it?
• Clinical depression is more than most
people think. It will affect more than 19
million Americans this year.
▫ One fourth of all women and one eighth
of all men will suffer at least one episode
or occurrence of depression during their
lifetimes
Is it serious?
• Depression can be very serious
▫ It has been linked to poor school
performance, truancy, alcohol &
substance abuse, running away, &
feelings of worthlessness &
hopelessness
▫ In the last, 25 years the rate of
suicide among teens & young adults
has increased dramatically
▫ Suicide is often linked to depression
Can it be treated?
• Yes, depression is treatable.
Between 80-90% of people with
depression-even the most serious
forms can be helped
▫ There are a variety of
antidepressant meds and
psychotherapy can be used to
treat depressive disorders.
▫ The best treatment is a
combination of meds to gain
relatively quick symptom relief
and psychotherapy to learn
more effective ways to deal with
life’s problems, including
depression
What is the most important/difficult step
toward overcoming depression?
◦ The most important step and
sometimes the most difficult step
toward overcoming depression is
The Stages of Grief/Loss


Stage 1: Denial: “oh no, not me”
 Denial is a person‘s initial reaction
to any loss.
 At this stage, a person who has
suffered significant loss can’t
believe the loss has occurred.
Stage 2: Anger: “Why me?”
 A person next moves from denial to
anger. During this stage, the
person may be critical, demanding,
or uncooperative.
The Stages of Grief/Loss


Stage 3: Bargaining: As the reality of the loss
sets in, the anger begins to subside and is
replaced by bargaining.
 Person may pray or promise to change if only
the lost person/object can be returned, even
for awhile.
Stage 4: Depression:
 Often marked by silence and withdrawal
 Earlier feelings of disbelief, isolation, anger,
and rage are replaced with a deep sense of
quiet sadness
The Stages of Grief/Loss

Stage 5: Acceptance: this is the last
stage in dealing with a deep loss
 While the depression stage may
leave a person feeling helpless, this
last stage can involve a sense of
power, allowing the person to face
reality in constructive ways and
make significant and meaningful
gestures surrounding the idea of
loss