 |
| Showing symptom of depression |
The center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), has estates that 7.6 percent of people over the age of 12 have depression in any 2-week period.
Depression is the state of mind that is characterize by sadness, stress, fear, anxiety, loss of interest or pleasure and a general ill feelings. These feeling are normal but it is unhealthy if the symptoms persist for a long period of time for example 6-8months and interfere with daily living.
The cause of depression remains unknown, but it is believed to be a combination of biological, environmental, genetic and psychological factors.
Depression seems to be more common among women than men, Symptoms include lack of joy and reduced interest in things that used to brings excitement.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is the most common illness worldwide and the leading cause of disability. They estimate that 350 million people are affected by depression, globally. It is usually the duty of the psychologist, Primary Care Provider (PCP) and emergency medical doctors that attend to depressed patients.
Depression is different from the fluctuations in mood that people experience as a part of normal life. Temporary emotional responses to the challenges of everyday life do not constitute depression.
Likewise, even the feeling of grief resulting from the death of someone close is not itself depression if it does not persist. Depression can, however, be related to bereavement.
Symptoms of depression
Symptoms of depression includes
Restlessness
Rumination
Loss of Joy
Early awakening
Risk factors of depression
Stress
Biological: change in the level of neurotransmitter
Life style
Traumatic event such as loss of love ones, rape cases, etc
Physiological and social factors
Age
Family pressure, abusive relationship, bullying, marital problems
Genetic factor
Drug abuse: Abuse of alcohol, amphetamines and other drugs
Drug prescription: drugs like corticosteroid, some beta-blockers.
Environmental factor
Head injury
Pregnancy: the mood of a pregnant woman varies throughout the period of pregnancy and it is not uncommon for them to slip into depression.
Diagnosis of depression
This starts with consultation with a doctor or mental health specialist. It is important to seek the help of a health professional to rule out different causes of depression, ensure an accurate differential diagnosis, and secure safe and effective treatment.
As for most visits to the doctor, there may be a physical examination to check for physical causes and coexisting conditions. Questions will also be asked - "taking a history" - to establish the symptoms, their time course, and so on.
Some questionnaires help doctors to assess the severity of depression. The Hamilton depression rating scale, for example, has 21 questions, with resulting scores describing the severity of the condition. The Hamilton scale is one of the most widely used assessment instruments in the world for clinicians rating depression.
Treatment of depression
Treatment of depression is usually by medication or talk therapy, must times, a combination of both methods are sed. Medication used includes, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), antidepressants and anxiolytic.
Therapies used includes, behavioral therapy, psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Depression is a treatable mental illness. There are three components to the management of depression:
Support, ranging from discussing practical solutions and contributing stresses, to educating family members.
Psychotherapy, also known as talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Psychotherapy
Psychological or talking therapies for depression include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal psychotherapy, and problem-solving treatment. In mild cases of depression, psychotherapies are the first option for treatment; in moderate and severe cases, they may be used alongside other treatment.
CBT and interpersonal therapy are the two main types of psychotherapy used in depression. CBT may be delivered in individual sessions with a therapist, face-to-face, in groups, or over the telephone. Some recent studies suggest that CBT may be delivered effectively through a computer.
Interpersonal therapy helps patients to identify emotional problems that affect relationships and communication, and how these, in turn, affect mood and can be changed.
Antidepressant medications
Antidepressants are drugs available on prescription from a doctor. Drugs come into use for moderate to severe depression, but are not recommended for children, and will be prescribed only with caution for adolescents.
A number of classes of medication are available in the treatment of depression:
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
tricyclic antidepressants
atypical antidepressants
selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI)
Each class of antidepressant acts on a different neurotransmitter. The drugs should be continued as prescribed by the doctor, even after symptoms have improved, to prevent relapse.
A warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that "antidepressant medications may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teenagers, and young adults within the first few months of treatment."
Any concerns should always be raised with a doctor - including any intention to stop taking antidepressants.
Exercise and other therapies
Aerobic exercise may help against mild depression since it raises endorphin levels and stimulates the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which is related to mood.
Brain stimulation therapies - including electroconvulsive therapy - are also used in depression. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation sends magnetic pulses to the brain and may be effective in major depressive disorder.
Electroconvulsive therapy
Severe cases of depression that have not responded to drug treatment may benefit from electroconvulsive therapy (ECT); this is particularly effective for psychotic depression.
Types
Unipolar and bipolar depression
Symptoms of depression include reduced interest in pleasurable activities and lower mood.
If the predominant feature is a depressed mood, it is called unipolar depression. However, if it is characterized by both manic and depressive episodes separated by periods of normal mood, it is referred to as bipolar disorder (previously called manic depression).
Unipolar depression can involve anxiety and other symptoms - but no manic episodes. However, research shows that for around 40 percent of the time, individuals with bipolar disorder are depressed, making the two conditions difficult to distinguish.
Major depressive disorder with psychotic features
This condition is characterized by depression accompanied by psychosis. Psychosis can involve delusions - false beliefs and detachment from reality, or hallucinations - sensing things that do not exist.
Postpartum depression
Women often experience "baby blues" with a newborn, but postpartum depression - also known as postnatal depression - is more severe.
Major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern previously called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), this condition is related to the reduced daylight of winter - the depression occurs during this season but lifts for the rest of the year and in response to light therapy.
Countries with long or severe winters seem to be affected more by this condition.
Sources,
World Health Organization news
Medical News Today
Collage of Medicine Ibadan
0 Comments