Download Understanding “Depression”

Understanding “Depression”
There are several forms of
depressive disorders
• Major depressive disorder (MDD) - a severely depressed mood that
persists for at least two weeks. Suicide occurs in 15% of individuals
with severe MDD.
• Dysthymic disorder - a mild depression that continues almost daily
over a span of at least two years.
• Psychotic depression - is one of the most severe in which the person
experiences moments of delusional or paranoid being.
• Postpartum depression - affects two mothers out of a thousand after
childbirth, lasts only a few weeks. Includes hallucinations and
delusions.
• Seasonal affective disorder - experience depressive symptoms in
winter.
Depression
• Depression is a serious medical condition
that affects a person's work, family and
school life, sleeping and eating habits.
For some, depression can include
thoughts of death or suicide. Depression
affects plenty of people who don't have
any obvious risk factors.
• Affects about 7-18% of the population
• more common in women than in men
• Depression is highly treatable
Symptoms of Depression
Depression has a variety of physical and emotional symptoms:
• Feeling unhappy
• Tired, no sex drive
• Loss of interest in life; no
enjoyment from things
you previously enjoyed
• Loss of confidence
• Fatigue or lack of energy
• Sleeping too much or too
little
• Change in appetite or
weight
• Trouble concentrating
• Feeling useless/hopeless,
irritable
• Avoiding people
• Problems concentrating
What causes Depression?
• A combination of genetic (50% of depression victims have
1 or both parents who have also suffered from it),
psychological, and environmental factors is often involved
in the onset of depression.
• an imbalance of certain neurotransmitters (serotonin).
• Other risk factors for depression:
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Early childhood trauma or abuse
Alcohol or drug abuse
Unemployment or underemployment
Health problems or chronic pain
Gender also has an influence–
– women are about twice as likely to suffer from
depression than men are – Why?
• hormonal changes due to: puberty, menstruation,
pregnancy/childbirth (postpartum depression is
commong) and menopause
• men are more likely to go undiagnosed; more likely
to be angry/hostile and mask their condition with
alcohol or drug use.
– Suicide is a serious risk for
men who are depressed
Treating Depression
• Most common: psychotherapy and medication.
– Treating depression with drugs Antidepressants are often the
first treatment option prescribed by health professionals. Changes
levels of certain neurotransmitters. Possible side effects include:
headache, nausea, nervousness, blurred vision or drowsiness.
– Treating depression with psychotherapy or counseling
cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy
(IPT) CBT teaches people to change negative thinking and
behavior, IPT helps people work through trouble personal
relationships.
• Other methods of treatment include exercise, acupuncture,
meditation, and herbal supplements.
Statistics:
• According to Health Canada and Statistics Canada,
approximately 8% of adult Canadians will experience a
major depression/anxiety at some point in their lives, and
around 5% will in a given year.
• 15% of severely depressed women will commit suicide
• 3 million Canadians have serious depression, although
only 1 in 10 will seek medical treatment.
• 80 – 90% of depressed people respond to treatment and get
relief.